The Department of Employment and Labour in Upington has called on work seekers to apply for its Skills Development programs or training opportunities. The acting Labour Centre Manager, says that these programs are funded by the Unemployment Insurance Fund through the Labour Activation Program. This call by the department follows at the backdrop off the announcement by Stats SA that the official unemployment rate grew from 32.1% to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024, with the unemployment rate according to the expanded definition increasing by 0.8 of a percentage point to 41.9% in the first quarter of 2024. Stats further indicate that the formal sector employment decreased by 128 000 in Q4: 2023, while informal sector employment increased by 124 000 over the same period. The industries that contributed to the net employment decline include Community and social services (down by 171 000), Construction (down by 36 000), Agriculture (down by 35 000), Trade (down by 28 000) and Manufacturing (down by 1 000).

Journalist: Rene Julies
Email: rckjulies@gmail.com