Free State records 68,000 jobs lost in 2016 – highest in South Africa

15 February 2017

The DA is saddened to learn that 68,000 more Freestaters have lost their jobs during 2016. The province recorded the highest number of job losses in the country. This is a massive blow to the prosperity and welfare of tens of thousands of families who are struggling to put food on the table.

The official unemployment rate now stands at 34.7% while the real unemployment rate is at 40.9% (expanded definition). This means that out of a labour force of 1,160 million people, more than 485,000 people who are able to work, are unemployed.

Out of the 68,000 jobs lost, more than 64,000 were from the formal sector. Mining recorded 18,000, Manufacturing 10,000 and the Finance sector recorded 12,000 job losses respectively.

The ANC does not have the economic policies or the political will to address unemployment.

The Free State under the poor governance of the ANC’s Ace Magashule continues to regress in absolute terms on almost every single indicator. The provincial economy is being suffocated by poor service delivery, decaying infrastructure, and corruption.

The province finds itself increasingly in an economically hostile environment that scares off new investment. This hampers economic growth much needed for job creation, especially for the thousands of unemployed youth.

In the Free State, just over the last quarter 2016 (October to December), 24,000 people lost their jobs.

But not all hope is lost. Over the same period, the DA-governed Western Cape province, recorded a massive 70,000 new jobs. These statistics reinforces the claim that under a DA government more people have jobs. This proves that the DA, as a party of government, prioritises the delivery of basic services to all, develop and maintain infrastructure, and implement economic policies that attracts investment, which encourages economic growth that spurs job creation.

Issued by Roy Jankielsohn, Leader of the Official Opposition, 15 February 2017