The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2010 was virtually unchanged at 25,3%, Statistics SA said on Tuesday.
The results showed employment contracted by 0,7% or 86 000 jobs between the second and third quarters of 2010. The number of discouraged work seekers increased 4,9% or 95 000 people, the Pretoria-based agency said in its Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2010.
Formal sector employment contracted by 0,5% or 45 000 jobs and informal sector employment went down by 0,6% or 14 000 jobs.
Agriculture increased by 1,6% or 10 000 jobs and employment in private households declined by 3,3% or 38 000 jobs.
‘The loss of jobs in the formal sector was observed mainly in establishments that employ less than 50 people.”
Job losses in the formal sector quarter-on-quarter were driven mainly by finance and other business services where employment decreased by 5,7% or 89 000 jobs.
However, job gains were seen in trade where employment went up by 34 000 jobs (1,8%), while jobs in construction went up by 30 000 (4,1%) and manufacturing saw jobs increase by 22 000 or 1,5%.
Statistics SA said the expanded unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2010 went up by 0,8 of a percentage point from 35,8% to 36,6%. The year-on-year picture showed that employment contracted by 1,2% or 158 000. – Sapa