SOUTH AFRICA’S unemployment rate has increased by 1% point to 30,1% in the first quarter of 2020. All provinces recorded increases in the expanded unemployment rate.
The largest increase was recorded in Free State (up by 2,2percentage points), followed by North West (up by 2,1percentage points), Eastern Cape (up by 1,2 percentage points) and KwaZulu-Natal (up by 1,1percentage point).
“The unemployment is sitting at 30.1% having increased by 1.0 percentage point from the previous quarter,” said Statistician-General Risenga Maluleka on Tuesday.
Statistics SA said the number of employed persons decreased by 38 000 to 16.4 million in the three months to March, but increased by 91 000 compared to the same period last year.
The largest decreases in employment were observed in the clerical occupations, followed by technician and professional occupations in the first quarter compared to the previous quarter.
“The number of unemployed persons increased by 344 000 to
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