Labour market trends in South Africa in 2009-2019: A lost decade?
Stellenbosch Working Paper Series No. WP03/2022Publication date: June 2022
Author(s):
[protected email address] (Department of Economics, University of the Western Cape)
South Africa's high unemployment has long been a key challenge for policymakers. Concerns about the social implications of sustained high unemployment are growing. Using the Quarterly Labour Force Survey data, we present evidence on key labour market trends in 2009-2019 – sometimes referred to as 'the lost decade'. Data suggest that patterns in labour market outcomes evident in the first decade of the 21st century have persisted and, in some ways, further deteriorated over the second decade. The unemployed remained largely black Africans and were concentrated amongst the less educated individuals. They remained out of work for longer and, on average, spent more time seeking employment. In accordance with recent literature, the data indicate the presence of hysteresis in unemployment. Key ameliorating policies in this scenario are skills development and structural reform of the labour market. The former is difficult to achieve, even in the long-term, while the latter is politically challenging.
JEL Classification:J20, J64
Keywords:Labour market, employment, unemployment, skills mismatch, South Africa
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Prof Euan Phimister: Stellenbosch Business School
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Dr Friedrich Kreuser: Stellenbosch University
Topic: "Allocative Efficiency, Labour Shares, and Corporate Lobbying in European Manufacturing"
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26 Sep 2025 Free Weekly Review | Number 37 | 26 SeptemberThis report covers the key domestic and international data releases over the past week. The more comprehensive BER Weekly Review (Enhanced Version) includes a detailed discussion on the main economic events and developments over the past week, a summary of upcoming data (the week ahead) and the BER’s forecast for key economic indicators....
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