Jobs crisis: Unemployment line grows by almost half a million people in just one year

13 August 2024

Today Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) released the Quarter Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q2: 2024, confirming the inability of government to tackle our country’s stagnant, unequal economy and its stubbornly-high unemployment rate

There are now 11.57 million South Africans who are able and willing to work but cannot find employment – 476 000 more year-on-year. This is cause for great concern, as the expanded definition of unemployment is 42.6% - one of the highest in the world. Almost half of young people aged 15-34 years old are now jobless.

Build One South Africa’s (BOSA) overriding mission is to ensure there is at least a job in every home. With an estimated 18 million households averaging 3.3 persons per household, to put a job in every home will require at least 2 million new jobs.

Our Jobs Plan is a blueprint to build a South Africa that works. Our Jobs Plan intends to foster and free up citizens to do the vital work of creating new jobs, new wealth and a vibrant, growing economy.

To support economic growth and job creation, our Jobs Plan spells out how BOSA will overhaul the education system to be modern and skills aligned, create a safer environment by radically reducing crime, and supporting this with a capable, efficient and merit-based government that gets on with doing the job.

Under this plan, within five years it is possible to rapidly grow the size of the economy, create millions of new jobs and educate and upskill young people to compete at the very highest level.

We will use every platform available to advance this agenda on behalf of the 11.57 million South Africans desperate for a job.

Issued by Roger Solomons, BOSA Acting Spokesperson, 13 August 2024