COSATU KZN: No reason to celebrate latest employment figures

Statistics South Africa said on Tuesday that employment rose by 0.1 per cent in the last quarter of 2024.

 

The figure was mainly due to increases in the trade, business services, transport and electricity sectors.

 

However, provincial secretary Edwin Mkhize says that compared to the country's unemployment rate, the slight increase of 12,000 jobs is hardly a cause for celebration.

 

"Looking at the amount of unemployment facing our country, that's a very small figure, and if you look at the year-on-year, it's actually a decline.

 

“Comparatively speaking, 2023 and 2024, there is a decline of about 91,000 jobs and the increase, this slight increase of 0.1%, we really don't think that it's something that can be celebrated much. I can say that, in fact, every job that is created is something that can be actually observed and acknowledged.

 

"But because one job that is being created is very important. But looking at the amount of unemployment facing the country, I don't think that the slight increase of 0.1 is something that can actually be celebrated."

 

He says the cause for the increase in jobs is due to part-time work created over the festive season.

 

Stats SA says part-time employment spiked by 2,000, or 0.2 percent, quarter-on-quarter, with increases in industries like trade, construction, and business service.

 

"Generally, a quarter four, there's that slight increase on quarter four because it's time where there have been a festive - some part-time jobs would've been created during the time during the time of festive, but we can't say that is something that is sustainable.

 

“Normally, it's part-time employment that is normally created. So we can say that in this high level of unemployment, which is 41.6% facing our country, 0.1 per cent really is a very small figure.”

 

He hopes to see a significant rise in job creation within KwaZulu-Natal's agricultural sector, along with a strong drive toward industrialisation.

 

"Manufacturing is critical, very important. It has been actually declining. Also, the issue of infrastructure development and maintenance. Those are quite important sectors that can actually assess the province to actually start benefiting from what you may regard as low-hanging fruits, especially in, in agriculture. I think we do need to have an aggressive strategy around those sectors in the main."

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