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330 000 more people jobless as unemployment rate increases to 32.9%

  • FILE PHOTO: Social grant recipients stand in a queue outside a post office, as joblessness takes its toll in Meadowlands, a suburb of Soweto, South Africa, February 24, 2022. Picture taken February 24, 2022.
  • Image Credits :
  • Reuters
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Data released by Statistics South Africa shows that unemployment increased by 0.8 percentage points in the first quarter of 2024.

The latest Quarterly Labour Forces Survey (QLFS) indicates that unemployment increased from 32,1% to 32,9% in the first quarter of 2024.

The number of unemployed persons increased by 330 000 to reach 8.2 million in the first quarter, while the number of employed persons increased by 22 000 to reach 16.7 million in the first quarter of 2024.

Earlier this month, Deputy President Paul Mashatile said the government was working to grow the economy in an effort to address the jobs situation.

“The problems of our people are many. We have to grow the economy to create jobs, so we can deal with poverty. We can’t solve problems only through grants, and to grow the economy, we must end load shedding.”

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