Employment up by 0.4% 

Employment has increased by 39 000 or 0.4% quarter-on-quarter, from 10 039 000 in March 2023 to 10 078 000 in June 2023.

This is according to the latest Quarterly Employment Statistics report released by Statistics South Africa on Thursday.

 
According to the report, this was largely due to increases in community services (40 000 or 1.4%), business services (12 000 or 0.5%), mining (2 000 or 0.4%) and electricity (1 000 or 1.7%). 

However, there were decreases in the following industries: manufacturing (-10 000 or -0.8%), transport (-3 000 or -0.7%), trade (-2 000 or -0.1%) and construction (-1 000 or -0.2%).

Total employment was up by 104 000 or 1.0% year-on-year between June 2022 and June 2023.

Full-time employment decreased by 25 000 or -0.3% quarter-on-quarter, from 8 816 000 in March 2023 to 8 791 000 in June 2023. This was largely due to decreases in community services (-11 000 or -0.5%), manufacturing (-10 000 or -0.9%), construction (-6 000 or -1.4%) and transport (-1 000 or -0.3%). 

The electricity and business services industries reported no quarterly change. However, there were increases in mining (2 000 or 0.4%) and trade (1 000 or 0.1%).

Full-time employment decreased by 46 000 or -0.5% year-on-year between June 2022 and June 2023.

Meanwhile, part-time employment increased by 64 000 or 5.2% quarter-on-quarter, from 1 223 000 in March 2023 to 1 287 000 in June 2023. 

This was largely due to increases in community services (51 000 or 8.6%), business services (12 000 or 5.2%), construction (5 000 or 7.1%) and electricity (1 000 or 100.0%). 

The manufacturing industry reported no quarterly change. However, there were decreases in the following industries: trade (-3 000 or -1.3%) and transport (-2 000 or -11.8%).

Part-time employment increased by 150 000 or 13,2% year-on-year between June 2022 and June 2023.

The second quarter report also provides insight into employment figures in industries before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Three out of eight industries (mining, manufacturing and community services) have returned to pre-pandemic employment levels.

“Gross earnings paid to employees increased by R3.6 billion or 0.4% from R828.7 billion in March 2023 to R832.4 billion in June 2023. This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services, trade, transport, construction, manufacturing and mining. However, there were decreases in the following industries: business services and electricity.

“The year-on-year total gross earnings increased by R42.9 billion or 5.4% between June 2022 and June 2023,” StatsSA said. 

StatsSA said that basic salary/wages paid to employees increased by R19.3 billion or 2.6% from R738,5 billion in March 2023 to R757.8 billion in June 2023. 

This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services, business services, trade, manufacturing, construction, transport and mining. However, the electricity industry reported a quarterly decrease.
 
The year-on-year basic salary/wages increased by R38.6 billion or 5.4% between June 2022 and June 2023.
 
“Bonuses paid to employees decreased by R17.7 billion or -26.4% from R66.9 billion in March 2023 to R49.3 billion in June 2023. This was largely due to decreases in the following industries: business services, manufacturing, community services and electricity. However, there were increases in the following industries: transport, trade and construction.
 
“The year-on-year bonus payments increased by R2.1 billion or 4.4% between June 2022 and June 2023,” StatsSA said. 
 

Meanwhile, overtime paid to employees increased by R2.0 billion or 8.7% from R23.3 billion in March 2023 to R25.4 billion in June 2023. 

This was largely due to increases in the following industries: manufacturing, business services, transport, trade, construction and electricity. However, the community services industry reported a quarterly decrease.

 “The year-on-year overtime payments increased by R2.3 billion or 10.1% between June 2022 and June 2023.

 “Average monthly earnings showed a quarter-on-quarter increase of 2.8%, from R25 274 in February 2023 to R25 994 in May 2023. Year-on-year, average monthly earnings increased by 5.4%,” StatsSA said. – SAnews.gov.za