Civil service piles on more than 16 000 new jobs
Only 29000 new formal jobs were created in the third quarter ended September, and more than half of these were government positions, Statistics SA’s latest employment data showed.
South Africa’s 8.3-million formally employed people averaged R8456 earnings in August. This is 7.2percent higher than August last year. Official inflation was 6.3percent over that period, indicating employed South Africans are slightly better off.
The data showed South Africa is now primarily a country of civil servants, followed by bankers and then sales and hospitality industry workers.
The sector that Stats SA entitles “community, social and personal services industry”, which encompasses mainly civil servants, teachers and policemen, grew by 16000 positions during the quarter and 34000 from September last year.
“This is mainly due to increases in employment in national government, provincial government, other central government activities and education,” the report said.
Nearly a quarter of all formal employment is in the community, social and personal services industry sector, followed by 22percent in financial services, and 21percent in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods, and the hotels and restaurant sector.
South Africa shed 15000 factory workers from September last year. Of these, 4000 manufacturing jobs were lost over the quarter.
Fortunately, the commodities boom has seen mines employ people faster than factories are retrenching. There are 38000 more miners than a year ago, but the mining sector only accounts for six percent of all jobs.
The construction boom has seen this sector grow by 16000 jobs from the third quarter last year. But jobs here are the worst paid, with builders averaging R5513 in August. Construction is the second- smallest sector measured by formal employees.
The smallest employment sector, “electricity, gas and water supply industry”, offers the best-paying jobs. Total earnings for the 55000 people here came to an average of R18993 each, a 27percent increase from the second quarter.
Stats SA put the August average pay in the electricity and water sector at a more modest R15449 salary, placing it ahead of the transport, storage and communication industry sector average of R11688.
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South Africa’s 8.3-million formally employed people averaged R8456 earnings in August. This is 7.2percent higher than August last year. Official inflation was 6.3percent over that period, indicating employed South Africans are slightly better off.
The data showed South Africa is now primarily a country of civil servants, followed by bankers and then sales and hospitality industry workers.
The sector that Stats SA entitles “community, social and personal services industry”, which encompasses mainly civil servants, teachers and policemen, grew by 16000 positions during the quarter and 34000 from September last year.
“This is mainly due to increases in employment in national government, provincial government, other central government activities and education,” the report said.
Nearly a quarter of all formal employment is in the community, social and personal services industry sector, followed by 22percent in financial services, and 21percent in the wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods, and the hotels and restaurant sector.
South Africa shed 15000 factory workers from September last year. Of these, 4000 manufacturing jobs were lost over the quarter.
Fortunately, the commodities boom has seen mines employ people faster than factories are retrenching. There are 38000 more miners than a year ago, but the mining sector only accounts for six percent of all jobs.
The construction boom has seen this sector grow by 16000 jobs from the third quarter last year. But jobs here are the worst paid, with builders averaging R5513 in August. Construction is the second- smallest sector measured by formal employees.
The smallest employment sector, “electricity, gas and water supply industry”, offers the best-paying jobs. Total earnings for the 55000 people here came to an average of R18993 each, a 27percent increase from the second quarter.
Stats SA put the August average pay in the electricity and water sector at a more modest R15449 salary, placing it ahead of the transport, storage and communication industry sector average of R11688.
Visit DiversityJobs.com for information on Diversity in the workplace
Labels: employment, South Africa
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