The Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released by Statistics South Africa today, revealed that 368 000 jobs were created in the Western Cape, between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023. That is a 15.7% increase in employed people year-on-year, well ahead of all other provinces, with Gauteng creating 201 000 jobs over the same period.
Between quarter one and quarter two of this year, 54 000 jobs were created in the Western Cape.
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde is elated at the latest quarterly job statistics for the province. “We are making significant inroads in beating back unemployment and poverty, thanks to our efforts to enable and empower the private sector, ” he said.
The Western Cape recorded the largest decrease in the unemployment rate, down by 6,6 percentage points compared to the same period in 2022.
The expanded unemployment rate decreased by 6 percentage points between the second quarter of 2022 and the second quarter of 2023.
Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, Mireille Wenger, said, “The Western Cape continues to have the lowest expanded and official unemployment rates in South Africa, while also creating more jobs than any other province. This is very welcome news. Guided by the recently launched ‘Growth For Jobs’ Strategy, premised on enabling the private sector, including the formal, informal, and township-based businesses, we will push harder than ever to stimulate economic growth, that leads to the creation of many more jobs in the Western Cape.”
The Premier stated, “We have a long way to go still but we are more determined than ever to push forward and continue with this positive momentum. These latest numbers give us all hope that we are on the right track toward achieving breakout economic growth. Every job created translates into hope for our residents.”
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Shebeen – an unlicensed bar [sha-been] These are unlicensed bars usually found in low-income suburbs located outside of the major towns and cities, more commonly known as ‘the townships’.
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Oom – older man of authority / Uncle [oo-um] Used in reference to an older uncle or even someone who is not your uncle but in an authority position. Usually expressed with respect.