The Eastern Cape is becoming the second province in South Africa with more unemployed people than working people, causing rising tensions in the province.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QFLS), published by Statistics South Africa in February), shows that the official unemployment increased by 0.8% from 32.1% in the fourth quarter of 2023 to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2024.
The number of unemployed persons increased by 330,000 to 8.2 million over the same quarter.
The Western Cape has the lowest unemployment rate on the standard definition in South Africa at 21.4%. It has the most people working compared to unemployed in the country.
The Eastern Cape has consistently been above the average official unemployment rate over the past ten years.
In terms of the broader definition of unemployment, which includes discouraged job seekers, the situation is much more dire for most provinces.
The extended unemployment rate in South Africa’s provinces ranges from 26% to 54%: the Western Cape is the only province with a rate below 30%.
The North West has more adults out of work and not looking for work than those who are employed, with an unemployment rate of 53.6%.
The Eastern Cape follows, with an unemployment rate of 49.1%. This means it is less than 1% away from having more unemployed people than working people.
High unemployment in the Nelson Mandela Bay metro has led local residents feel disadvantaged as foreign nationals often offer cheap labour, making it difficult for locals to secure job opportunities.
Foreign nationals believe that offering inexpensive labour increases their chances of finding employment as outsiders in the area.
Labour lawyer Michael Bagraim says foreign nationals—legal and illegal— make up less than 1% of the labour force.
Daily Friend
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