Is Unemployment in South Africa Inevitable?

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………..1

2. THE CONCEPT OF UNEMPLOYMENT………………………………………………………1

3. UNEMPLOYMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA: THE REALITY…………………………………...1

4. CAUSES OF UNEMPLOYMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA……………………………………….3

5. FACTORS TO HELP RESOLVE THE UNEMPLOYMENT ISSUE…………………………..4

6. CONCLUSION…………………………………………………………………………………..5

7. LIST OF SOURCES……………………………………………………………………………..6

List of Tables

Table 1 Key Labour Market Indicators……………………………………………………….2

List of Figures

Figure 1 Unemployment Rate over the Years………………………………………………….2

1. INTRODUCTION

"Hunger is not the worst feature of unemployment; idleness is." – William E. Barrett.

Unemployment in South Africa is a matter of serious concern for its effect on economic welfare production, the erosion of human capital, social exclusion, crime and social instability, is immense. The citizens of South Africa, and the African National Congress-led government, have made extraordinary social and economic advances since ending apartheid and beginning the transition to democracy in 1994, yet the country still faces critical problems of mass unemployment. Despite various forums and strategies such as the Employment Strategy Framework, Job Summit, Umsobomvu Fund and GEAR have been directed at resolving the problem; none of them have really succeeded thus far (Mabuza, 2002). The focus of this assignment is to investigate whether unemployment in South Africa is inevitable.

2. THE CONCEPT OF UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment, based on the international standard developed by the International Labour Organisation (ILO, 2009), refers to people within the economically active population who did not work during the prior seven days, want to work and are available to start work within two weeks, and have actively looked for