South Africa’s Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana says according to the latest labour force survey there were 4 837 000 people unemployed in the country, if one applied the narrow definition of the unemployment rate. This amounted to 30,5% of the potential workforce.
Replying to a question from Pieter Groenewald, a Freedom Front MP, he said that Statistics South Africa used the narrow definition — the unemployed were people within the economically active population who did not work during the seven days prior to the interview, want to work and are available to start work within a week and have taken steps to look for work or to start some form of self-employment in the four weeks prior to the interview.
The broad definition included discouraged job seekers who said they were unemployed but had not taken active steps to find work in the four weeks prior to the interview. When applying the broad definition there were 7 925 000 persons reported to be unemployed. This amounted to 41,8% of the potential workforce.
The figures applied to September last year, the minister added. – I-Net Bridge