Formal non-agricultural sector employed 2000 less during second quarter

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Released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on Thursday, the report said this is a netted quarterly decrease of 2,000 employees between March 2019 and June 2019.

The report said this was largely due to decreases in the manufacturing, business services, trade, construction and electricity industries.

“The transport industry remained unchanged. However, there were increases in the following industries: community services, mining and quarrying,” the report reveals.

Total employment increased by 141,000 or 1.4% year-on-year between June 2018 and June 2019.

Full-time employment, said Stats SA, decreased by 26,000 or -0.3% quarter-on-quarter, from 9,129,000 in March 2019 to 9,103,000 in June 2019.

“This was largely due to decreases in the following industries: construction (-16,000 or -3.0%), trade (-14,000 or -0.7%), manufacturing (-12,000 or -1.1%), business services (-4,000 or -0.2%) and electricity (-1,000 or -1.7%). However, there were increases in the following industries: community services (16,000 or 0.7%), mining and quarrying (3,000 or 0.7%) and transport (2,000 or 0.4%),” the national statistical service said in the report.

During this period, full-time employment increased by 90,000 or 1.0% year-on-year between June 2018 and June 2019, the report reveals.

Part-time employment increased by 24,000 or 2.3% quarter-on-quarter, from 1,045,000 in March 2019 to 1,069,000 in June 2019. This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services (28,000 or 7.1%), construction (7,000 or 8.1%) and trade (4,000 or 1.8%). The electricity industry remained unchanged. However, there were decreases in the following industries: business services (-10,000 or -4.0%), manufacturing (-3,000 or -3.7%) and transport (-2,000 or -11.8%).

Part-time employment increased by 51,000 or 5.0% year-on-year between June 2018 and June 2019.

Total gross earnings paid to employees increased by R11.5 billion (1.7%) from R688.4 billion in March 2019 to R699.9 billion in June 2019.

This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services, transport, trade, mining and quarrying, manufacturing and construction. However, there were decreases in the business services and electricity industries.

Year-on-year, total gross earnings increased by R4.4 billion or (6.9%).

Average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector increased by 2.7% from R20,859 in February 2019 to R21,432 in May 2019.

Year-on-year, average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector increased by 4.9%.