9 May 2016<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Employment declined by 2,2% or 355\u00a0000 in Q1: 2016, which combined with an increase in the number of unemployed persons of 521\u00a0000 resulted in an unemployment rate of 26,7%; this was 2,2 percentage points higher compared to that reported in Q4: 2015. However, on a year-on-year basis, employment was still higher in Q1: 2016 by 204\u00a0000 compared to the same period last year.<\/p>\n
Employment levels declined quarter-to-quarter in all industries except Community & Social services and Agriculture which grew by 51\u00a0000 and 16\u00a0000 respectively. The biggest job losses were observed in Trade (119\u00a0000), Manufacturing (100\u00a0000) and Construction (77\u00a0000).<\/p>\n
Despite the quarterly increase, employment in Agriculture was lower by 15\u00a0000 compared to a year ago. The opposite pattern was observed in Mining, Construction, Trade and Finance & other business services. While employment declined quarter-to-quarter in these industries, employment levels increased on an annual basis in Mining (30\u00a0000), Construction (40\u00a0000), Trade (115\u00a0000) and by 23\u00a0000 in Finance & other business services.<\/p>\n
Community & social services grew both quarter-to-quarter and year-on-year while Manufacturing declined on both quarter-to-quarter (100\u00a0000) and year-on-year (141\u00a0000).<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The expanded unemployment rate which includes those who were available to work but did not look for work in the reference period also increased by 2,5 percentage points between Q4: 2015 and Q1: 2016 to 36,3%.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Ends.<\/b><\/p>\n
Issued by Statistics South Africa <\/b><\/em><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n For technical enquiries, contact:<\/b><\/p>\n Ms Kefiloe Masiteng<\/p>\n Deputy Director-General: Population and Social Statistics<\/p>\n Tel: 012 310 2109<\/p>\n Email: KefiloeM@statssa.gov.za<\/p>\n Mr Peter Buwembo<\/p>\n Executive Manager: Labour Statistics<\/p>\n Tel:\u00a0 012 310 8688<\/p>\n Email: Peterb@statssa.gov.za<\/p>\n <\/p>\n For media enquires<\/b><\/p>\n Lesedi Dibakwane<\/p>\n Tel: 012\u00a0310 8578<\/p>\n Cell: 082\u00a0805 7088<\/p>\n Email: LesediD@statssa.gov.za<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 9 May 2016 Unemployment increased in the first quarter of 2016 Employment declined by 2,2% or 355\u00a0000 in Q1: 2016, which combined with an increase in the number of unemployed persons of 521\u00a0000 resulted in an unemployment rate of 26,7%; this was 2,2 percentage points higher compared to that reported in Q4: 2015. However, read more »<\/a><\/p>\n