Durban — KwaZulu-Natal has recorded an increase in the unemployment rate in the third quarter of the year.

This was according to the third quarter labour survey released by the Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke on Tuesday. Approximately 2 000 people lost their jobs in the province. Maluleke said that out of nine provinces only KZN and Gauteng recorded losses while other provinces gained. Gauteng was hardest hit with 66 000 job losses.

To the credit of KZN’s economy, the province was the second most improved in employment with 46 000 jobs in the quarter of last year. The most improved province was the Free State which recorded 48 000 job increases in the third quarter of last year.

Despite Gauteng and KZN unemployment increases, the overall unemployment rate in the country dropped from 33.5% in the second quarter to 32.1% in the third quarter which translated to a 1.4% decrease in unemployment.

In this year’s third quarter, the highest employment gains were recorded in the Eastern Cape with 83 000 jobs followed by Western Cape with 75 000, North West 69 000, Mpumalanga 49 000, Limpopo 33 000, Free State 30 000 and Northern Cape 23 000.

The largest increases in employment were recorded in community and social services with 194 000 followed by construction (176 000) and Trade with 109 000 industries. Decreases in employment were recorded in finance 189 000, private households with 32 000. Manufacturing which had done well in the same quarter last year with 127 000 job increases bled 20 000 jobs while the transport sector dropped by 18 000 industries.

The improvement in this year’s third quarter was cushioned by good performances in manufacturing, transport which recorded 81 000 job increases, trade with 79 000 and mining with 75 000 jobs. The industries that recorded decreases in the third quarter of last year were finance with 120 000, community and social services with 62 000 and agriculture with 21 000.

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KwaZulu-Natal’s unemployment rate rises despite national decrease