Unemployment Rate In South Africa Rises To 34.9 Percent

By Lynnet Okumu / Published December 2, 2021 | 10:23 am

KEY POINTS

South Africa has set a new record of 34.9 percent unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2021, a 0.5 percent increase from the previous quarter which stood at 34.4 percent.

FILE PHOTO: Supporters of former South African President Jacob Zuma block the freeway with burning tyres during a protest in Peacevale, South Africa, July 9, 2021. REUTERS/Rogan Ward/File Photo

South Africa has set a new record of 34.9 percent unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2021, a 0.5 percent increase from the previous quarter which stood at 34.4 percent.

According to the country’s government statistics office StatSA, the number of employed persons decreased by 660,000 in the third quarter of 2021 to 14. 3 million out of a total population of 59 million.

The report further revealed that the unemployment rate is especially high amongst women who stand at 37.3 percent as compared to men who are at 32.9 percent.

Moreover, black women are 41.5 unemployed compared to 9.9 percent of white women who lack employment.

South Africa, the continent’s most industrialized economy and hit the hardest by Covid, was already in recession when the pandemic hit in March 2020.

Having to contend with a contracting economy, additional shocks from COVID-19 has put further pressure on the country’s business operations

All sectors of the economy saw job losses between the second and third quarters of 2021, except the finance sector, StatSA’s report said.

The trend of increased unemployment has been witnessed across most African countries including Kenya whose economy was also ravaged by covid 19.

According to the Statista data report on November 1^st, 2021, the unemployment rate in Kenya is estimated to have increased to 6.6 percent in the first quarter of 2021, against 5.4 percent in the previous quarter. It was also higher than in Q1 2020 when 5.2 percent of the population aged 15-64 years were unemployed.