The Congress of the People (Cope) is calling for a jobs lekgotla to address the unemployment rate that soared to 33.5% for the second quarter of 2024.
Statistics South Africa reported a 0.6% unemployment rate increase from the first quarter, which was 32.9%, making 8.4 million people vulnerable to poverty.
The report further revealed that young people continued to bear the brunt of being jobless. Young people between the ages of 15 to 24 recorded a 60.8% unemployment rate, an increase of 1.1% from 59.7% in Q1. Meanwhile, those between 24 to 34 totalled 41.7%, compared to 40.7% in Q1, showing a 1% unemployment rate increase.
According to the World Population Review, South Africa sat at the helm of the highest global unemployment rate, with 28.8% in 2020.
Although the economy took a downturn during Covid-19, four years after the pandemic, there was ample time for the economy to recover. However, it has hit a spiral.
With the unemployment rate peaking, Cope acting national chairperson, Pakes Dikgatsi, emphasised this was a “national crisis”, that warranted an urgent jobs summit.
He noted the rapid rate of joblessness was the outcome of government neglect, thus the new Government of National Unity carries a huge responsibility to ensure an economic change where “one is left behind”.
The summit would comprise all stakeholders in government, political parties and the private sector.
“We are facing a ticking time bomb. There are clearly policy misalignments and impediments. The government and business have failed over many years to reach a social compact of economic policy and jobs. What is absent in the debate are other stakeholders in the society.
“Such a summit will reach consensus on what policy interventions can be made to remove impediments, and mobilise all resources to tackle the epidemic. We did it during Covid-19 lockdown, and lessons were learned. We can do it again,” said Dikgatsi.
With a political identity that pledged for jobs in every household, Build One South Africa (Bosa) acting spokesperson, Roger Solomons argued a job summit was a redundant method.
“We don’t need more summits and talk shops. There is no time to pontificate. We need to implement growth focused policies as outlined in our jobs plan,” he said.
During the election run, Rise Mzansi campaigned for people over 35 to be eligible for employment. Therefore, the party’s national spokesperson, Gugu Ndima, concurred that a jobs summit would curb the state of joblessness in this particular age group.
StatsSA said 28.7% of persons between 34 to 44 suffered from unemployment, adding those between 44 to 54 staggered at 20.7%.
“StatsSA confirms that unemployment is a ticking time bomb which not only needs the government, but all strategic partners to find urgent solutions. We have advocated for an immediate intervention in the filling of vacancies in provincial as well as national government.
“We commend every effort by all organisations that seek to find solutions and more importantly find ways to consolidate efforts towards fighting the crisis of unemployment,” said Ndima.
The Star