SA lost 30 000 construction jobs over the past year
New numbers released by Statistics SA show a bloodbath in construction jobs over the past months, while the mining sector is steadily employing more people – for now.
The Quarterly Employment Statistics survey for the second quarter of the year showed that almost 10.2-million people were employed in the second quarter, 2 000 fewer than in the first quarter of the year – but 141 000 more than a year ago.
In the past quarter to end-June alone, 16 000 jobs were lost in the construction sector – there are now 30 000 fewer workers in the construction industry than a year ago. But community services (including civil servants, health workers as well as part-time workers for the elections this year) and the mining industry reported increases of 44 000 and 3 000 jobs respectively over the past quarter.
Parts of the mining industry have benefited from stronger resource prices, particularly platinum and gold. But job cuts are looming: Sibanye-Stillwater, the biggest SA gold producer and the largest platinum miner in the world, may retrench almost 6 000 workers, while steel producer ArcelorMittal SA is also planning 2 000 retrenchments.
Mining employment
The manufacturing industry saw a sharp 15 000 drop in jobs in the past quarter compared to the first quarter of the year. It employed 1 000 fewer people in June 2019 compared with June 2018.
Manufacturing employment
The QES collects information on businesses registered for VAT with an annual turnover greater than R300 000, as well as government employers.
Comments
Projects
Latest Multimedia
Latest News
Showroom
Weir is a global leader in mining technology. We recognise that our planet’s future depends on the transition to renewable energy, and that...
VISIT SHOWROOM
At John Ratcliffe, we are aftermarket specialists for heavy-duty on and off-road vehicles. We engineer and retrofit advanced safety systems, engine...
VISIT SHOWROOM
Press Office
Announcements
What's On
Subscribe to improve your user experience...
Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):
Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):
All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors
including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.
Already a subscriber?
Forgotten your password?
Receive weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine (print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
➕
Recieve daily email newsletters
➕
Access to full search results
➕
Access archive of magazine back copies
➕
Access to Projects in Progress
➕
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format
RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA
R4500 (equivalent of R375 a month)
SUBSCRIBEAll benefits from Option 1
➕
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports on various industrial and mining sectors, in PDF format, including on:
Electricity
➕
Water
➕
Energy Transition
➕
Hydrogen
➕
Roads, Rail and Ports
➕
Coal
➕
Gold
➕
Platinum
➕
Battery Metals
➕
etc.
Receive all benefits from Option 1 or Option 2 delivered to numerous people at your company
➕
Multiple User names and Passwords for simultaneous log-ins
➕
Intranet integration access to all in your organisation
