The recent employment figures released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) are a clear indication that there has been a marginal increase in the number of people in employment, Minister of Labour Membathisi Mdladlana said on Tuesday.
He said the figures showed a 3% decline in the official unemployment rate.
“The official unemployment rate — which excludes those people who are not actively looking for a job [from] the unemployment figures — shows that the number of people with work increased slightly to 11,6-million.
“In an international environment where jobs are being shed and economic growth is limited, this stabilisation represents a very real achievement for the African National Congress government,” said Mdladlana.
Stats SA figures show that 57 000 jobs were created between March and September 2003, which included a 1% increase in the number of people employed in the non-agricultural formal sector.
“[The] government has a number of programmes in place that will result in more jobs being created. Key among these is the National Skills Development Strategy, which is successfully providing millions of South Africans with the skills needed to grow the economy.
“In line with the commitments made at the Growth and Development Summit, the take-on of learnerships is being accelerated and we fully expect to meet our 72 000 target by [the end of] May of this year,” said Mdladlana.
He said his department intends taking on 645 learners from the beginning of May.
“Within the next month the department is also set to launch the lead employer pilot project, a precursor to the Employment Skills Development Agencies, which will take the administrative burden of employing learners away from small and medium enterprises.
“This government is on track to meet its stated goal of halving unemployment by 2014,” emphasised Mdladlana.