The country's unemployment rate of 33.9% in the second quarter of 2022 has led to a lack of confidence in the government’s ability to ensure that young people are employed. An EFF Member has called on the government to avail an unemployment grant to unemployed graduates.
Pambo further stated that jobless graduates spend roughly R1,200 looking for work. These expenses include data, printing and transport. In response, government officials went on to say that the government has considered various options to support the unemployed in addition to the many measures that are currently in place.
Additionally, employment seekers can receive free assistance from the Department of Employment and Labour and the National Pathway Management Network, which were established as part of the Presidential Youth Employment Intervention.
This free assistance will be in the form of assistance with creating CVs, job preparation, life skills, employment counselling, and access to job vacancies that employers have made available.
In late September earlier this year, Stats SA released the Quarterly Labour Force Survey which indicated that the country's unemployment rate decreased from 34.5% in the first quarter to 33.9% in the second quarter.
At the time, Job losses were recorded in the community services (-100,000), business services (-15,000), construction (-13,000), manufacturing (-12,000) and electricity (-1,000) industries. There were increases in the number of jobs in the trade (+17,000), mining (+4,000) and transport (+1,000) industries.
According to the statistical data, a sharp increase in average monthly earnings was observed between the first and second quarters of 3,7% between February and May.
The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) is currently in its fourth phase and has been recruiting young people for a wide variety of job vacancies at local schools throughout the country.
