BusinessLive reports that the unemployment rate reduced to 26.5% in the fourth quarter from 27.1% in the third quarter, Statistics SA reported on Tuesday.  

The total number of persons employed in SA grew to 16.07 million in December 2016 from 15.83 million in September.  The biggest employer is the sector classified as "community and social services", which accounts for 22% of jobs.  It grew employment by 73,000, or 2.1%, over the three months.  Trade, which employs 20% of the workforce, added 24,000 jobs over the quarter, growing 0.8%.  The transport sector added 46,000, raising it 5% to 961,000 jobs.  Manufacturing employed 44,000, or 2.6%, more people, taking the total in SA’s factories to 1.73 million.  Mining shed 17,000 jobs over the quarter, reducing its number of employed people 3.8% to 421,000.  Construction shed 9,000 jobs, reducing its employee numbers by 0.6% to 1.48 million.

• A short report by Robert Laing is at BusinessLive
• See too, Unemployment eases in last quarter, at Business Report

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