SA's employed likely to retain jobs: report

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"The employed are most likely to stay employed. As many as 92.9% of those with jobs remained in employment," said Stats SA in its Labour Market Dynamics Report 2013.

The report draws on the comparison of results from the Quarterly Labour Force surveys of the third and fourth quarters of 2013.

According to the report, only 13.1% of the unemployed found work. There are roughly 4.7 million people that are unemployed.

The report found that those with work are likely to find employment, compared with those who have never worked before.

Clerks, domestic workers and sales and service workers were most likely to remain in their jobs, while skilled agricultural workers were least likely.

The Western Cape, Free State and Gauteng had the highest formal sector retention rates, while the highest informal sector retention rates were in North West and Limpopo.

For all the provinces formal sector retention rates were higher than in the informal sector.

According to the report, from 2008 to 2013 employment increased from 14.6 million to 14.9 million, while unemployment increased from 4.2 million to 4.9 million.

"This resulted in an increase in the unemployment rate from 22.5% in 2008 to 24.7% in 2013," noted the report.

The report found that unemployment was highest among the black population.

The report found that over the period 2008 to 2013 access to several benefits improved for South African employees. Pension contributions from employers increased from 45.5% to 48%, while those with medical aid increased from 28.7% to 31.6%.

"But access to benefits has remained consistently higher for men than for women," it said.

The report found that awareness about Expanded Public Works Programmes and other government job creation programmes increased from 42.8% in 2011 to 49.7% in 2013. Participation in government job creation programmes was highest among the less educated.

Employment by industry between 2008 and 2013 showed gains in finances, which gained 213,000, mining 5,700, community and social services 575,000. Large employment losses were seen in manufacturing, trade and agriculture. - SAnews.gov.za