Little evidence that government job creation plans are working

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

Statistician General Pali Lehohla says there's little evidence that government policy is reducing unemployment.

This as 4.5 million South Africans remain jobless.

He told a media briefing today that "if policy intention was to reduce unemployment, there is very little evidence that it is reduced," he said.

Lehohla said the unemployment rate dropped by 0.6% from 25.5% to 24.9%, noting that this was the "first time since the inception of the QLFS (Quarterly Labour Force Survey) that there is a decrease in employment in the 4th quarter of a year."

"A decrease in employment was attributable to job losses experienced in the formal sector (down by 52 000) and Private households (down by 8 000). Employment in agriculture and in the informal sector increased by 24 000 (3,6%) and 8 000 (0,4%) respectively."

"The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by 87 000 between Q3:2012 and Q4:2012, while other not economically active persons increased by 259 000," he said in the latest report.

Meanwhile, the QLFS revealed that 69 000 jobs were lost in the Eastern Cape between the third and fourth quarters of last year.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed that the number of people employed in the Eastern Cape declined from 1 330 000 in the third quarter to 1 261 000 in the final quarter of 2012.