South Africa’s Unemployment Levels Drop to 23.3% In Q2 2020

Lillian Jijingi

 

Figures just released by Statistics South Africa shows the jobless rate in Africa’s most industrialized nation fell to 23.3% from 30.1% in the second quarter of this year.

South Africa’s unemployment rate fell to the lowest in more than a decade in the second quarter as one of the world’s strictest lockdowns in response to the coronavirus pandemic shuttered all but essential economic activity and prevented people who were fired from looking for job.

The national statistics agency said the number of people who are officially unemployed fell by 2.8 million to 4.3 million, and the employed dropped by 2.2 million to 14.2 million.

 Of the 14,2 million persons who were employed in Q2: 2020, more than half (58,1%) were expected to work during the national lockdown by the companies/organizations they work for.

There were 173 000 employed persons who were expected to work during the national lockdown but could not do any work during that period.

About 76,3% cited the national lockdown as the main reason for not actually working while the rest indicated that they did not work due to health reasons (10,2%); family responsibility (3,5%); or shift work arrangements (10,0%).

The official unemployment rate is calculated using the number of persons who are employed and unemployed, and does not include discouraged work seekers.

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