Western Cape gets to work

The Western Cape has
recorded the highest job
gains in the country,
according to the latest
employment figures from
Statistics South Africa.
Alan Winde, minister of
economic opportunities,
told FTW unemployment
in the province had
officially dropped to 19.4%
– a target the government
was aiming to reach only
by the end of 2016.
“We set ourselves the
target of bringing the
unemployment rate down
from 21% to at least 19%
by the end of this year.
Having met this target
months earlier we are
now going to have to
re-examine our plans,”
he said. “Addressing
unemployment in the
province is really a big
priority on which we
remain focused – and
when we see significant
achievements like this it is
an indication that we are
on the right track.”
He said 210 000 jobs
had been created overall in
2015 in the Western Cape,
and in the last quarter
62 000.
These numbers were
contained in the Quarterly
Labour Force Survey,
Quarter 4:2015.
“Jobs growth during
the period under review
was at 9.7%, compared
to nationally at 4.6% and
Gauteng at 4.3%. The
Western Cape now also
has the lowest narrow
unemployment rate at
19.4% and expanded
unemployment rate at
22%.
Winde said 30% of
the jobs created in South
Africa in the past year had
been in the Western Cape.
“These results are
inspiring if one takes
the tough economic
climate nationally into
consideration.”