This is according to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey.  

PWC Senior Economist Christie Viljoen has welcomed the decrease but warned that sustained job creation requires stronger economic growth.  

“The economy needs to grow by at least 3% to create meaningful jobs,” Viljoen said.  

He also cautioned that the unemployment rate could rise again in the first quarter of 2025, as seasonal jobs created during the festive period come to an end in January.  

Viljoen highlighted the struggles faced by discouraged job seekers, particularly young people who have never had stable employment.  

“That group of discouraged workers – it’s basically people that are willing and able to work, but they’ve given up on finding a job. Many of them are very young, people that have never had a proper job and probably never will if the economy continues growing too slowly,” he said.  

He emphasised that increasing economic growth is key to absorbing more young job seekers into the workforce.

--ChannelAfrica--