Jobs Crisis: Urgent action needed to address weak prospects

It's official - South Africa hasn't escaped the effects of the global economic downturn. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) yesterday released a report on unemployment in G20 economies. The report suggests that South Africa, together with Spain and the USA, rank as the worst-affected G20 economies in terms of increased unemployment (see here - PDF).

This is symptomatic of our government's inability to adapt our economic policy to match the tougher times we face.

Our government hasn't implemented a wage subsidy, it hasn't moved to save textile-related jobs in Newcastle, it refuses to relook our labour legislation and has failed to save jobs with the training layoff scheme.

The reality is that our current policy framework isn't working. This is being confirmed and reconfirmed with every new study or report commissioned. And yet our government's response is to produce more of the same.

We urgently need a new approach. If we are to turn our employment crisis around, we need to start thinking differently about how we are going to start creating jobs.

The DA is currently in the planning phase of a comprehensive jobs campaign to be launched later this year. This campaign will demonstrate that the jobs crisis can be beaten. This campaign, taken together with our 8% growth project, will show South Africa how the DA would stimulate job creation if it was in government.

Statement issued by Ian Ollis MP, DA Shadow Minister of Labour, September 27 2011

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