The Eastern Cape’s expanded unemployment rate has once again increased, revealing that people across the province are giving up hope of ever finding employment.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Statistics, released this morning, reveal that the Eastern Cape’s expanded unemployment rate has risen from 49,1% to 49.7% for the second quarter. This is a staggering 6.4% increase compared to the expanded unemployment rate in the second quarter of 2023.
The worst affected are those in non-metro areas, where the expanded unemployment rate topped out at a staggering 57.7%.
While the province’s unemployment rate, which excludes discouraged work seekers, improved slightly to 41%, creating 25,000 jobs compared to the first quarter of 2024, there are still 75,000 fewer jobs compared to a year ago.
Small businesses, the lifeblood of our local communities, are shutting down at an alarming rate. Their closure is not just an economic issue, but a social one, with ripple effects felt in every household, every school, and every community.
The above clearly shows that more needs to be done to combat systemic unemployment, especially in our smaller towns and cities and among the youth.
Premier Oscar Mabuyane has made the unemployment crisis the priority issue for his new term of office. Following calls made by the Democratic Alliance (DA), the premier has committed to being inclusive in implementing ideas to ensure we can deal with the scourge of unemployment.
We will hold Premier Mabuyane accountable for his pledge and call on him to consider implementing interventions like those in the Western Cape, which has the lowest unemployment levels in the country.
These interventions include assisting job seekers with transport, internet access, and making it easier to find work opportunities.
The DA is unwavering in its commitment to drive job creation through a comprehensive strategy. We are ready to work with the provincial government to implement these initiatives and create a conducive environment for economic growth.
We also need to focus on enhancing the ease of doing business. Key to this is the introduction of a comprehensive Business Starter Toolkit and improved access to finance for entrepreneurs through the promotion of micro-lending by banks to support small businesses.
We need to create labour-absorptive economic growth. Job creation is not only about expanding the economy but also about maximising the labour force’s participation.
The DA is ready to collaborate with the provincial government to implement these strategies, which we believe are critical to addressing South Africa’s unemployment crisis and building a prosperous future for all citizens.
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