Quarterly LabourForce Survey (QLFS)
Q1:2021
Risenga Maluleke
Statistician-General
#StatsSA
Restrictions necessary to combat COVID-19 created an obstacle to normal data collection approaches and operations, exactly when there was a massive increase in the demand for information.
Stats SA changed the mode of collection for QLFS data to Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI). To facilitate CATI, the sample that was used for QLFS Q1:2020 was also used in all quarters of 2020 and Q1:2021.
Not all dwelling units on the sample had contact numbers resulting in data being collected from part of the sample where contact numbers were available for QLFS Q4:2020.
This introduced bias in the estimates. Details on how the bias adjustment was done is contained in the report.
COVID-19 Impact on Data Collection
15,0 7,22,9
14,1
Other NEA
Dis
co
ura
ged
wo
rk s
ee
ke
rs
M
M
M
Employed Unemployed
M
Dis
co
ura
ged
wo
rk s
ee
ke
rsM
M
M
Employed Unemployed
MQ4:2020
Q1:2021
Not Economically Active (NEA)
15,0 7,2 3,1 14,1
Other NEA
M M M
Dis
co
ura
ged
wo
rk s
ee
ke
rs
Increase of 200 thousand discouraged work seekers
M
15,0 7,2 3,1 14,1
Other NEA
Not Economically Active
Dis
co
ura
ged
wo
rk s
ee
ke
rs
17,2 million
ILO hierarchy – Employed first then unemployed
and the remainder is NEA (including discouraged
job-seekers). 3 mutually exclusive groups.
Cannot be in two groups at the same time.
Labour force
22,2
million
39,5 millionPeople of working age in South Africa (15 – 64 - year olds)
M M M
Employed Unemployed
SA’s official
unemployment rate
stands at
32,6%
M
Increased by 0,1 of a percentage
point between Q4:2020 and Q1:2021
There were about 28 thousand less people employed in
Q1:2021 than Q4:2020
Due to rounding numbers may not add up
5
8,6%
40,6%
15,8%
8,7%
9,2%
17,2%
10,0%
38,8%
15,2%
8,7%
9,2%
18,2%
Other
Student
Home-maker
Illness/disability
Too old/young to work
Discouraged work seekers
Q4 Q1
Quarter-on-quarter changes
Thousand
Student -248
Homemaker -68
Illness/disability 18
Too young/too old to work 13
Discouraged work seekers 201
Other 248
Q4:2020 to Q1:2021
Change in levels
Characteristics of the not economically active, Q4:2020 vs Q1:2021
Other reasons: National lockdown / COVID-19(Up by 1,0% point)
(Remained unchanged)
(Remained unchanged)
(Down by 0,54% points)
(Down by 1,8% points)
(Up by 1,4% points)
The number of Not Economically Active persons increased by 164 000
in Q1:2021 compared to Q4:2020
41,7% 38,0%
55,5%56,4%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
55%
60%
65%
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
The Labour force participation rate decreased by 0,2 of a percentage point
from 56,6% in Q4:2020 to 56,4% in Q1:2021
Labour force participation and absorption rates Q1:2011-Q1:2021
13,8% Points
difference
Absorption rate is the proportion of
the working-age population that is employed
18,4% Points difference
Labour force participation rate is the proportion of the working-age population that is either employed or unemployed
South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 0,1 of a percentage
point to 32,6% in Q1:2021 compared to Q4:2020.
Unemployment rate from Q1:2009 to Q1:2021
32,6%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
Q2
Q3
Q4
Q1
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
The Expanded definition which includes discouraged work-seekers and those having
other reasons for not searching (e.g. Lockdown) showed 0,6 of a percentage point
increase to 43,2% in Q1:2021 compared to Q4:2020.
32,6%
43,2%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
Official
Expanded
Expanded Definition includes the following
- Official unemployment (searched and available) 7,2 M
- Available to work but are/or
• Discouraged work-seekers 3,1 M
• Have other reasons for not searching 1,0 M
Q1:2011 Q1:2021
11,4
million
7,2
million
10 year period
9
42,2%
27,9%
49,5%
46,4%
47,2%
43,2%
47,6%
41,6%
43,4%
49,6%
23,4%
23,7%
29,4%
30,5%
32,2%
32,6%
33,5%
34,4%
35,6%
43,8%
NC
WC
LP
KZN
NW
RSA
MP
GP
FS
EC
15,0 % points difference
20,1 % points difference
13,1% points difference
18,8 % points difference
Official Expanded
Provincial unemployment rate: Official vs Expanded Q1:2021
EC recorded the highest official and expanded unemployment rates. LP, NC
and KZN provinces have more than 15,0 percentage points difference between their
expanded and official unemployment rates.
15,8 % points difference
Private Household 1M
FORMAL SECTOR70,5%
16,7%
7,5%
5,3%
Q3:2010 Q3:2020
The formal sector in South Africa accounts for 70,5% of total
employment.
Employment share by sector, Q1:2011 to Q1:2021
Q1: 2011 Q1:2021
2,3M
1,2M Private Household 1,1M
Informal sector employment 2,5M
Formal sector employment 10,6M9,8M
Agriculture 0,8M0,6M
FORMAL SECTOR
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
Formal sector (non-agricultural)
Informal sector (non-agricultural)
Agriculture Private households
Mill
ion
s
Q4:2020
Q1:2021
Formal sector employment increased by 79 thousand jobs between
Q4:2020 and Q1:2021
Employment changes by sector, ( Quarter-on-quarter increase)p
p by
79 000
q by
-70 000
(10,6 million jobs) (2,5 million jobs) (792 thousand jobs) (1,1 million jobs)
q by
-18 000
q by
-19 000
Employment declined by 28 000 in Q1:2021 compared to Q4:2020.
Employment changes by industry
Quarter-on-quarter change (‘000)
Largest decreases were
observed in
Construction, Trade and
Private households.
Percentage
change
9,3%
0,5%
16,0%
3,0%
0,5%
-2,2%
-4,3%
-5,8%
-2,7%
-7,5%-87
-84
-70
-40
-18
7
12
16
16
215
Construction
Trade
Private households
Transport
Agriculture
Manufacturing
Mining
Utilities
Community and social services
Finance
0,8%
2,6%
5,3%
6,0%
7,2%
7,5%
10,0%
16,9%
19,9%
23,8%
Utilities
Mining
Agriculture
Transport
Construction
Private households
Manufacturing
Finance
Trade
Community andsocial services
Share of
Nominal
GDP
(Q4:2020)
24,5%
16,2%
19,8%
13,7%
2,9%
9,2%
1,2%
9,4%
3,1%
Employment shares, Q1:2021
Trade, construction and agriculture have higher employment
shares relative to their GDP contribution.
Employment and GDP share per industry
Graduate unemployment is 23,3% points lower than the national
official unemployment rate
Official Unemployment rate Q1:2021
38,3%
34,0%
21,2%
9,3%
Less than matric
Matric
Other tertiary
Graduates
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%
SA O
ffic
ial U
nem
plo
ymen
t R
ate
32
.6%
63,3%
41,3%
27,0%
20,0%
13,1%
32,6%
15-24 yrs
25-34 yrs
35-44 yrs
45-54 yrs
55-64 yrs
15-64 yrs
20,6%
69,9%
77,8%
72,7%
42,2%
56,4%
7,6%
41,0%
56,7%
58,2%
36,7%
38,0%
+0,6
+0,7
-0,4
+0,1
+0,1
-0,7
-0,9
+0,7
-0,8
0,0
-0,5
-0,6
+0,7
-1,2
0,0
Unemployment rate Absorption rate Participation rate
Change: Percentage points
Q4:2020 to Q1:2021Labour market rates by age group, Q1:2021
Youth aged 15-24 years and 25-34 years recorded the highest
unemployment rates of 63,3% and 41,3% respectively
31,3%
31,9%
29,8%
32,4%
38,4%43,0%
41,8%
43,6%
0,0
5,0
10,0
15,0
20,0
25,0
30,0
35,0
40,0
45,0
50,0
Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1
2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
15-24 Years 15-34 Years
NEET rate ages 15-24 & 15-34,
2012-2021
Approximately 3,3 million (32,4%) out of 10,2 million young people
aged 15-24 years were not in employment, education or training
(NEET). The overall NEET rate increased by 1,7 percentage points in Q1:2021
compared to Q1:2020.
14,9%8,1% 25,2% 36,7%32,6%
White Indian/Asian Coloured Black African
SA
Unemployment Rate
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
The unemployment rate among the black African (36,7%) population
group remains higher than the national average and other population
groups. (From 36,5% in Q4:2020)
OFFICIAL unemployment rate by population group, Q1:2021
8,8%
11,8%
25,7%
36,5%
32,5%
8,1%
14,9%
25,2%
36,7%
32,6%
White
Indian/Asian
Coloured
BlackAfrican
Both sexes
Unemployment Rateby Population Group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
9,4%
8,9%
25,4%
34,9%
31,0%
8,9%
12,4%
24,5%
35,4%
31,4%
Male Unemployment RateBy Population Group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
Black women are the most vulnerable
with unemployment rate of over 30%.
OFFICIAL unemployment rate by population group and sex
Black African women are the most vulnerable with an
unemployment rate of 38,3% in Q1:2021.
8,1%
17,1%
26,0%
34,3%
7,1%
19,3%
26,0%
34,0%
Female Unemployment RateBy Population Group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
38,3%
38,5%
11,3%
17,6%
33,5%
47,2%
42,6%
10,1%
19,9%
34,5%
47,9%
43,2%
White
Indian/Asian
Coloured
BlackAfrican
Both sexes
Expanded unemployment rate by population group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
11,1%
11,7%
32,2%
43,9%
39,4%
10,2%
15,4%
32,6%
44,7%
40,1%
Male expanded unemployment rate by population group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
Irrespective of gender, the black African and coloured population
groups remain vulnerable in the labour market.
EXPANDED unemployment rate by population group and sex
11,6%
27,7%
35,0%
51,0%
46,3%
10,0%
27,7%
36,7%
51,5%
46,8%
Female expanded unemployment Rate by Population Group
Q1:2021 Q4:2020
Additional analysis on employment in
relation to COVID-19
This section of the presentation focuses on indicators derived from the additional questions that were only asked of those who were employed.
18,7%
81,3% were expected to work
Of the 15,0 million persons who were employed in Q1:2021, at least
8 in every ten (81,3%) were expected to work during the national
lockdown by the companies/organisations they work for.
Work during lockdown
79,1%
84,9%
89,0%
91,1%
92,0%
92,2%
94,3%
95,6%
98,9%
99,3%
20,9%
15,1%
11,0%
8,9%
8,0%
7,8%
5,7%
4,4%
1,1%
0,7%
Professional
Manager
Technician
Elementary
Clerk
Craft and related trade
Sales and services
Skilled agriculture
Plant and machine operator
Domestic worker
Worked at place of workWorked from home
Professionals and Managers were more likely than all
other occupations to be working from home.
Place of work for persons who did any work by occupation, Q1: 2021
Received pay91,3%
Did not receive pay
8,2%
Don't know; 0,5%
91,3% of the employed continued
to receive pay during lockdown
compared to those in Q4:2020
(88,9%)
Q1:2021
Full salary86,0%
Reduced salary14,0%
14,0% of those who received
pay during lockdown were paid
reduced salaries.
81,2% 82,6%
87,8% 90,2%83,4%86,4%
89,1% 91,0%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
Less than Matric Matric Other Tertiary Graduates
Q4:2020
Q1:2021
Full salary by level of education, Q4: 2020 and Q1: 2020
About 9 in 10 graduates received their full salary in Q1:2021. The share
of those receiving full salary increased irrespective of level of education between Q4:2020
and Q1:2021. 16,6% of those with less than matric received reduced pay in Q1:2021
Recap QLFS Q1:2021
Unemployment rate
(32,6%) increased by 0,1
of a percentage point.
Absorption rate (38,0) and
labour force participation
rate (56,4) decreased by
0,2 of a percentage point
each.
Unemployment
rate
Construction (87 000),
trade (84 000) and
private households
(70 000) recorded the
largest employment
losses.
Employment
losses
Not economically
active
The number of not
economically active
increased by 164 000
in Q1:2021 compared
to Q4:2020.
Ndzi hela kwala!
QLFSQ1:2021