SA shed 15 000 jobs in first three months of 2016 – Stats SA
Cape Town – In the first quarter of 2016, the formal non-agricultural sector of the South African economy shed 15 000 jobs in all sectors, except construction and community services, according to the Quarterly Employment Survey.
Employment therefore declined by 0.2% to 9.2 million people in the formal non-agricultural sector of the economy.
The Quarterly Employment Survey collects data from the mining, manufacturing, electricity and gas, construction, retail, business and community and personal services sector, and measures the level of employment and earnings per sector.
It should not be confused with the rate of employment reflected in the Quarterly Labour Force Survey.
Statistician-general Pali Lehohla released the latest figures on Monday, which showed that the largest percentage of job losses took place in the retail, hotel and restaurant sector.
In the retail trade sector, 27 000 jobs were lost, while 7 000 people were retrenched in the hotels and restaurants industry.
