Lim records biggest drop in unemployment

The unemployment rate in Limpopo has dropped from 35% to 29.8% since the second quarter of the year, a drop that the Premier, Dr Phophi Ramathuba has described as both remarkable and significant. In real terms the number of jobs that were created stands around 40 000.

- Cecilia Mogashoa

The improvement, released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) on November 11, places Limpopo among the country's best-performing provinces. According to the latest Labour Force Survey, Limpopo recorded a 5.2% decline in unemployment, the largest decrease nationally. This contributed to a 1.2% national reduction, bringing South Africa's overall unemployment rate to 31.9%. StatsSA reported that most of Limpopo's employment gains were in the construction, services and trade sectors in this period.

Ramathuba welcomed the findings. “We welcome the results of the quarter 3 Labour Force Survey, which affirm our earlier assessments regarding Limpopo's economic growth trajectory. Our province's contribution of 0.9% to the national GDP highlights the strides we are making as we work collectively to provide opportunities for our residents.”