The 2016 UASA South African Employment Report: Employment in the downswing of the super cycle
26 April 2016
Until commodity prices crawl their way back to higher levels there is little hope for South Africa’s older economic sectors – manufacturing, mining, electricity, construction and transport – to create jobs. New sectors and situations will have to be found to solve the country’s economic and unemployment crisis, economist Mike Schüssler of Economists.co.za said today at the presentation of the 2016 UASA South African Employment Report. This is the 15th consecutive annual release of the report.
However, the crisis may also just help us to understand how the country can improve on what needs to be done better, Schüssler said.
“The world finds itself in a lower growth environment, and South Africa, as a major commodity exporter, finds itself in a much slower growth environment as the commodity super cycle has turned down.
“This super cycle shows a peak every 30 or so years with a downturn of about 20 years and an upward phase of about ten years. Over-production gives rise to a fall in prices just as the leading growth engine starts to fade,” Schüssler said.