More people are finding a job in the Western Cape than any other province in South Africa.
This is according to a joint statement by Premier Alan Winde, and Ivan Meyer, the Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism.
The statement comes as StatsSA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) Q3 2024 was released yesterday.
According to Winde and Meyer, the Western Cape continues to be a frontrunner in job creation, with 75 000 jobs created between Q2 and Q3 in 2024.
The Western Cape is now home to South Africa’s highest Absorption Rate at 54.2%, and the joint-highest Labour Force Participation Rate at 67.4%, said Winde, statistics which reveal the provincial economy’s enhanced ability to ensure that new jobseekers can find work and provides employment to the majority of its 5 million-strong workforce.
The survey, which covered the period between July and September 2024, reveals that the official unemployment rate in the Western Cape has dropped by 2.6% from the last quarter, and now stands at 19.6%.
Nationally, according to the StatsSA, the official unemployment rate has decreased by 1.4 percent from 33.5% in Q2 2024 to 32.1% in the Q3 2024, meaning more people found jobs.
Premier Winde said, “I am thrilled that more people can find a job in the Western Cape – a job is not just a pay check, it gives a person dignity and empowers them to make more choices for themselves.
“These indicators show that our economic strategy to grow the economy and create jobs is working. Through initiatives such as the SMME Booster Fund and the Red Tape Reduction Unit, the Western Cape Government has worked extremely hard to reduce barriers to entry for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and to build the economy brick by brick.
“It is fantastic to see the economy respond with such strong performance.
“Having added 75 000 jobs to our economy since the last quarter, it is clear that our province is on the right track, despite headwinds in the world economy.”
dailyvoice@inl.co.za