South Africa Unemployment Rate Crashes Despite Floods, Outages

South Africa Unemployment Rate Crashes Despite Floods, Outages
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The unemployment rate in South Africa fell for a second consecutive quarter based notwithstanding the widespread power cuts and devastating floods, StatsSA confirmed on Wednesday.

Africa Today News, New York reports that between April and June, the jobless rate declined by 0.6 of a percentage point over the first quarter to 33.9 percent of the workforce, the official data agency disclosed.

In the first quarter, unemployment fell to 34.5 after 35.3 percent at the end of 2021.

According to the StatsSA, there was a net quarterly gain of 648,000 jobs, with the biggest increases in community and social services, trade, finance and construction.

Read Also: Taliban Moves To Tackle Hunger And Unemployment

Poverty, inequality and joblessness run high in South Africa, nearly three decades after the end of apartheid.

The country’s high unemployment rate has fuelled protests and anti-foreigner sentiment.

Women in particular struggle to find opportunities. Almost one in two working-age women are unemployed and listed as economically inactive compared to about one in three men, StatsSA disclosed.

The female unemployment rate is also higher than the national average at 35.5 percent.

‘The labour market continues to favour men and shows no signs of making real progress towards improving prospects for women,’ the agency said in a statement.

In a related development, in the face of the current economic meltdown and tough situation Nigerians are experiencing, His Grace Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama, Archbishop of the catholic church, Abuja has implored the Federal Government to do everything possible to redeem the nation and its citizens.

He asserted that a lot of young people were frantically looking for better places abroad so they can thrive.
Speaking on Saturday at the priestly ordination of 12 Catholic deacons in Abuja, Kaigama stated that the government’s inability to favorably address the demands of the striking university teachers was the reason why millions of youths were unemployed and seen idly wandering on the street.

Africa Daily News, New York

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