Q1:2022 The official unemployment rate was 34,5% in the first quarter of 2022
31 May 2022
Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has, today (31 May 2022), issued results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q1: 2022. These results indicate that 370 000 jobs were gained between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.
The biggest job gains were recorded in Community and Social Services (281 000), Manufacturing (263 000) and Trade (98 000). However, there were job losses in Private households (186 000), Finance (72 000), Construction (60 000) and Agriculture (23 000). The total number of persons employed was 14,9 million in the first quarter of 2022.
The number of unemployed persons decreased by 60 000 to 7,9 million in the 1st quarter of 2022 compared to the previous quarter. The number of discouraged work[1]seekers decreased by 54 000 (1,4%) and the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 112 000 (0,8%) between the two quarters resulting in a net decrease of 166 000 in the not economically active population.
The above changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate decreasing by 0,8 of a percentage point from 35,3% in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 34,5% in the first quarter of 2022 - The unemployment rate according to the expanded definition of unemployment also decreased by 0,7 of a percentage point to 45,5 % in Q1:2022 compared to Q4:2021.
Although there was a slight decline in the number of unemployed youth in Q1: 2022, the youth remained vulnerable in the labour market. The first quarter of 2022 saw the total number of unemployed youth (aged 15-34) declining by 0.1% (or 5,000) to 4,7 million from Q4 2021. There was a noticeable increase in the number of youth in employment by 5.0% or 244 000 during the same period. The increase in employment and decline in unemployment among the youth resulted in a decrease in youth unemployment rate by 1.2 percentage point to 47.8% in Q1:2022.
Issued by Stats SA, 31 May 2022
