Page 27 - Provincial Treasury Estimates.pdf

Estimates of Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (EPRE) -2023/24 Financial Year
recorded an increase of 5 000 persons in the unemployed category which led to a slight rise in the unemployment rate
from 33.6 per cent to 34.4 percent in Quarter Four. The overall unemployment rate in the province currently is estimated
at 42.1 per cent representing a slight reduction from the 42.4 per cent recorded in quarter 3 of the same year.

Table 1.5 Eastern Cape Labour Trends, 2021 – 2022

Qtr-to-Qtr Year-on-year
Oct -Dec 2021 Jul-Sep 2021 Apr-Jun 2022 Jul-Sep 2022 Oct-Dec 2022
change change
Thousand
Eastern Cape
Population 15-64 yrs 4 410 4 396 4 440 4 455 4 469 14 59
Labour Force 2 266 2 314 2 349 2 359 2 384 25 118
Employed 1 247 1 216 1 343 1 360 1 380 20 133
Unemployed 1 019 1 098 1 006 999 1 004 5 -15
Not economically active 2 144 2 081 2 091 2 095 2 085 -10 -59
Discouraged work-seekers 341 298 341 294 172 -122 -169
Others 1 803 1 783 1 751 1 802 1 913 111 110
Rates (%)
Unemployment rate 45 47.4 42.8 42,4 42,1
Employed / population ratio (Absorption) 28.3 27.7 30.2 30,5 30,9
Labour force participation rate 51.4 52.7 52.9 53,0 53,3
Non Metro
Population 15-64 yrs - 3 012 3 036 3 045 3 053 8
Labour Force - 1 446 1 436 1 446 1 451 5
Employed - 699 723 736 770 34
Unemployed - 747 713 710 681 -29
Not economically active - 1 567 1 600 1 599 1 602 3
Discouraged work-seekers - 260 262 227 159 -68
Others - 1 306 1 338 1 372 1 444 72
Rates (%) -
Unemployment rate - 51.6 49.6 49,1 46.9
Employed / population ratio (Absorption) - 23.2 23.8 24,2 25,2
Labour force participation rate - 48 47.3 47,5 47,5
Buffalo City -
Population 15-64 yrs - 532 542 542 547 5
Labour Force - 299 316 327 344 17
Employed - 179 230 235 223 -12
Unemployed 120 86 92 121 29
Not economically active - 233 225 218 203 -15
Discouraged work-seekers - 38 68 54 3 -51
Others - 195 157 164 200
Rates (%) -
Unemployment rate - 40.1 27.3 28.1 35,2
Employed / population ratio (Absorption) - 33.7 42.4 43.1 40,8
Labour force participation rate - 56.2 58.4 60,0 62,9
Nelson mandela Bay
Population 15-64 yrs - 851 862 866 869 3
Labour Force - 570 597 587 589 2
Employed - 338 390 390 387 -3
Unemployed - 232 207 197 203 6
Not economically active - 282 265 279 280 1
Discouraged work-seekers - 10 13 11 -2
Others - 282 255 266 269 3
Rates (%) -
Unemployment rate - 40.7 34.7 33.6 34,4
Employed / population ratio (Absorption) - 39.7 45.2 45,0 44,5
Labour force participation rate - 66.9 69.2 67,8 67,8
Source: Stats SA QLFS 2023

Table 1.6 below illustrates that the EC recorded an increase in employment across some sectors of the economy, such
as manufacturing, trade and transport quarter-on-quarter as well as year-on-year. The key sectors for employment
creation such as manufacturing and trade recorded significant employment gains of 52 000 and 82 000 jobs
respectively in the past year. However, agriculture and construction sectors lost 19 000 and 6 000 jobs respectively
over the same year. Additionally, the community & social Services sector, which includes government and community
services and is the largest employer in the province, lost 19 000 jobs from Quarter 3 to Quarter 4 of 2022 but gained
40 000 jobs overall year-on-year.

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