South Africa's Unemployment Rate Increases to 35.3% In the 4th Quarter, 7.6 Million People Without Jobs

• The latest figures on the South African unemployment rate were released on Tuesday, 24 March by Stats SA
• The organisation determined that between October and December 2021, the unemployment rose to 35.3%
• South Africans are dismayed by the increasing state of joblessness and are looking to President Cyril Ramaphosa to fulfil his promises

JOHANNESBURG - South Africans are facing a bleak reality following Statistics South Africa's (Stats SA) announcement that the unemployment rate has reason yet again in the fourth quarter of 2021.

The rate of joblessness went from 34.9% to 35.3% from October to December 2021. This translates to 7.9 million in South Africa who are without work.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey was released on Tuesday, 29 March and shows that an additional 270 000 individuals became jobless in the last quarter, according to SABC News. On the bright side 262 000 people found employment in the fourth quarter and that brought the employment stats to 14.5 million employed individuals in South Africa.

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The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 46.2 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, according to the broader definition.

According to Fin24, the formal sector employment was able to increase by 143 000, however, 48 000 jobs in the informal sector were lost.

Stats SA has noted that the unemployment rate ack among black South Africans remains the highest with an average of 39.1% from 38.6% in the third quarter.

South Africans angered by the increasing unemployment rate

Heading online, South Africans have expressed their disdain for the increase in the unemployment rate. Some people feel that the statistics are higher than what has been recorded while others are blaming President Cyril Ramaphosa for failing the nation.

Here are some comments:

@CritiqueAfrika said:

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"It's a shock that Ramaphosa's failure that has forced millions of our people is not been rioted against. Our people need to take out their anger against Ramaphosa and capital & demand serious changes from SARB to Land. Rwanda's unemployment rate is 1.4% with no natural resources."

@AndileGP1 said:

"The #unemployment Rate is too much, maybe this country just needs to be split up into 3 smaller countries because this thing is not working."

@TiTeddyBear Said:

"The Universal Basic Income grant is the only way. Local businesses hire more staff, they buy stock from wholesalers, and the money trickles up to the wealthy. And it boosts the economy at every step of the journey. It's the most efficient way to boost an economy and create jobs."

@Onivea said:

"@CyrilRamaphosa your new dawn is swelling the ranks of the unemployed. Time to rid the country of BBBEE, AA, red tape and hand Eskom, Transnet, Prasa, Sapo, water, hospitals and schools to the private sector to manage."

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Heartbreaking: Job seekers in their 1000s queue up for 'just 28 jobs'

Briefly News previously reported that South Africa's alarming unemployment rate was again cast into the spotlight following the release of the second quarter employment figures on Tuesday.

Reports have told of a bleak reality for the country's unemployed population of 34.4 per cent, the highest on a global list of 82 countries.

Social media users in Mzansi have joined in on the conversation after popular Twitter user @kulanicool shared a heartbreaking video that appears to show thousands of people pitching up to be randomly selected for presumed temporary menial labour.

Source: Briefly News