DURBAN UNEMPLOYED DECLINED BY 9% YEAR-ON-YEAR
The StatsSA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) publication reported the official unemployment rate in Durban as 19.4% in Q1 of 2023, a decrease of 9% year-on-year when compared with quarter one of 2022. Durban had the largest decline in the strict unemployment rate year-on-year compared with other major metros. The year-on-year decrease in unemployment was also because of the increase in discouraged work seekers (144 000), as well as an increase of 72 000 in the number of employed.
Despite this, when considering the quarter-on-quarter trends, the unemployment rate increased from 17.6% to 19.4% in Q1 of 2023.There were 31 000 more people unemployed and 10 000 fewer employed in the quarter. The increase in unemployment was because of an increase in the working aged population (11 000) that entered the labour force. The participation rate in the labour force increased by 0,5% from 57.2% to 57.7%; a demonstration of Durban's ability to offer a potential workforce for businesses operating in the city.
The number of employed people increased between(2021Q1-2024Q1) and (2022Q1-2023Q1), and Durban created the second-largest number of jobs (124 000), after City of Johannesburg with (174 000). Cape Town created 114000, while Tshwane created 24 000, and Ekurhuleni lost 6000. Durban lost the largest number of jobs compared to other cities in the past years due to the unfortunate events i.e. flooding and unrest and this job creation boost is a welcome claw back of jobs previously lost. Despite the temporary setback, eThekwini’s job creation efforts over the past year have been significant. The City remains committed to addressing challenges posed by the economic downturn, creating employment opportunities, and making Durban an attractive destination for businesses.
