Unemployment rate drops
3 March 2009
South Africa's official jobless rate fell in the fourth quarter of 2008, mainly due to the construction industry adding jobs, Statistics SA says in its latest Labour Force Survey.
The jobless rate also fell as 97 000 people without work gave up looking for positions.
The Pretoria-based agency said on Monday that the unemployment rate fell to 21.9 percent of the labour force in the fourth quarter of 2008 from 23.2 percent in the third quarter.
At the end of last year, the number of unemployed people totalled 3.873 million.
The total number of employed people increased by 189 000 to 13.844 million.
However, the total labour force was down by 59 000 to 17.718 million.
Formal, non-agricultural employment rose 98 000 to 9.537 million during the quarter, Statistics SA said.
The informal, non-agricultural sector added 71 000 jobs to 2.246 million while agricultural sector jobs dropped by 3000 to 764 000, the agency said.
Sapa
