Cape Town - Estimates from the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) show that it is tougher for unemployed women to find jobs than it is for unemployed men.
The survey’s data showed that only 4.9% of unemployed women found jobs in Quarter 4 of 2020 compared with Quarter 3 of the same year, while 7.1% of unemployed men found a job after being unemployed in the previous quarter.
The survey also found that while people in short-term unemployment were more likely to find employment than those who have been unemployed for a year or longer, the longterm unemployed should not give up looking for work.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said: “Being discouraged due to the unavailability of jobs in the area, or the inability to find work requiring the skills held by individuals, or the hopelessness of finding work, might play a role in not obtaining work after an extensive period of unemployment.”
However, he said this was no reason to throw in the towel, and the statistics were in favour of those who refused to be discouraged.
Maluleke said the statistics showed that 5.9% of those who were discouraged in Quarter 3 of 2020 found employment in the following quarter compared with 11.9% of those who were looking and available to work.
In addition, prior work experience and higher levels of education or training had consistently been associated with the successful transition into employment, as they improved the chances of finding a job.
The data showed that while improving educational outcomes remains crucial to reducing unemployment, having work experience also improves the chances of securing employment.
Maluleke said people with prior work experience were more likely to find work when compared with those without work experience.
“About 11.8% of those with prior work experience transitioned into employment, compared with only 1.7% of those with no work experience in 2020.”
The survey also found that unemployment was disproportionately higher among young people relative to the average working population.
First Group Hotels and Resorts managing director Shaun Lamont said: “It’s no secret that being an unemployed youth is likely to lead to a life of insurmountable struggle.”
Lamont said, however, that while many consider a lack of education and training to be the root cause of youth unemployment in South Africa, statistics show that regardless of education level attained, youth unemployment continued to create a national crisis of epic proportions.
He said that while the Covid-19 pandemic hit hospitality the hardest, the industry was clawing its way back and reinventing itself for the changed needs of its customers post pandemic.
“With hospitality firmly on track, and the festive season only a few months away, the hospitality industry is perfectly positioned to make a dent in the youth unemployment rate, provided industry leaders are prepared to take a leap of faith and give the youth a chance.”