Jobs increase recorded in non-agricultural business sector

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Compiled by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), the report reveals that jobs in the sector had in the quarter risen from 10,152,000 to 10,174,000.

“This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services (19,000 or 0.7%), mining and quarrying (6,000 or 1.3%), manufacturing (5,000 or 0.4%) and business services (5,000 or 0.2%). However there were decreases in the trade (-8,000 or -0.4%), transport industry (-3,000 or -0.6%), electricity industry (-1,000 or -1.6%) and construction (-1,000 or -0.2%),” Stats SA said in a statement.

Total employment increased by 76,000 or 0.8% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.

Full-time employment increased by 34,000 quarter-on-quarter, from 9,099,000 in December 2018 to 9,133,000 in March 2019.

“This was largely due to increases in the following industries: trade (12,000 or 0.6%), manufacturing (7,000 or 0.6%), mining and quarrying (6,000 or 1.3%), business services (6,000 or 0.3%) and construction industry (5,000 or 0.9%). The community services industry remained unchanged. A decrease was recorded in the electricity (-1,000 or -1.7%) and transport industry (-1,000 or -0.2%),” read the statement.

Full time employment increased by 130,000 or 1.4% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.

Part-time employment decreased by 12,000 quarter-on-quarter, from 1,053,000 in December 2018 to 1,041,000 in March 2019. This was largely due to decreases in the following industries: trade (-20,000 or -8.5%), construction industry (-6,000 or -6.6%), manufacturing (-2,000 or -2.4%), transport industry (-2,000 or -10.0%) and business services industry (-1,000 or -0.4%).

The electricity industry remained unchanged. Community service industry increased by (19,000 or 5.1%).

Part time employment decreased by 54,000 or 4.9% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.

Total earnings paid to employees amounted to R688 billion in March 2019, down from R728 billion in December 2018, a quarterly decrease of R40 billion or 5.6%.

“Decreases in gross earnings were led by community services industry with R9.6 billion, trade industry with R8.0 billion, manufacturing industry with R7.8 billion, construction industry with R4.7 billion, business services industry with R4.6 billion, transport industry with R3.6 billion, electricity industry with R1.5 billion and mining industry with R0.5 billion,” said Stats SA in the statement.

Gross earnings increased by R25 billion or 3.7% year-on-year, the report notes.