9,5 million South Africans now unemployed under Ramaphosa’s ‘False Dawn’

15 May 2018

President Cyril Rampaphosa’s ‘false dawn’ has driven 264 000 South Africans to the ranks of the unemployed, proving, beyond any doubt, that the ANC will never be able to solve the unemployment crisis.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey released today shows that unemployment has increased from 9,216 million in the previous quarter to 9,481 million.

Of major concern, is that young South Africans between the ages of 15-24 years are now unemployed, up from 63,9% in the previous quarter. In addition, 42,8% of people between the ages of 25-34 years are still unemployed.

A blanket national minimum wage will only worsen the situation and the DA still insists on sectoral minimum wages to save and create more jobs.

This is a grave indictment on the ANC and how it continues to fail young people through stubborn resistance to job access policies such as the Youth Wage subsidy as proposed by the DA.

While the rest of South Africa continues to bleed jobs, the Western Cape continues to lead the way in buckling the unemployment trend. At 19,7%, the Western Cape has the lowest unemployment rate in the country when compared to other Provinces. In the ANC governed Eastern Cape, a staggering 46% of people are unemployed.

If unemployment was part of President Ramaphosa’s promise of a ‘New Dawn’, we simply don’t want in. Only the DA is capable of delivering an economic plan that will create jobs for the millions of unemployed South Africans.

Issued by Michael Bagraim, DA Shadow Minister of Labour, 15 May 2018