TLU SA again demands economy be opened entirely in light of latest labour force statistics,
TLU SA makes an urgent call on the government to completely open the economy to prevent more job losses and to combat poverty.
StatsSA today released the quarterly labour force statistics for the second quarter of 2020. Employment decreased in all sectors during the previous quarter as a direct consequence of the lockdown, which is still active on level one. Employment in agriculture showed the lowest number of losses with a decrease of only 7,6% compared to 10,8% in the formal sector, 21,9% in the informal sector and 23,6% from private households.
“Agriculture succeeded in retaining a vast part of its labour force and is, therefore, the sector which presents the best,” says Mr Henry Geldenhuys, the president of TLU SA. “We hope the government succeeds in doing the math and realises that the lockdown wreaked havoc on the industries prohibited from working, causing various long term consequences.”
Even though the unemployment rate decreased as well, StatsSA admitted that it does not reflect an improvement in the labour market but rather an effect of the national lockdown. The official definition of unemployment requires that people look for work and are available for work. The national lockdown hindered people from looking for work.
“It will take quite some time for us to establish the true and total impact of the continued lockdown on the South African economy and its residents,” says Mr Geldenhuys. “But, in the meantime, it is clear that the government must completely change their existing approach to the process of repair.”
TLU SA eis weer dat ekonomie ten volle geopen word in lig van jongste arbeidsmag statistiek
TLU SA doen ‘n ernstige beroep op die regering om die ekonomie onmiddellik ten volle oop te maak om enige verdere verliese aan werksgeleenthede te verhoed en armoede te bekamp.
StatsSA het vandag die kwartaallikse arbeidsmag statistiek vir die tweede kwartaal van 2020 bekend gemaak. Werkverskaffing het gedurende die tweede kwartaal in alle sektore afgeneem as ‘n direkte gevolg van die inperking wat steeds op vlak een van krag is. Die landboubedryf het die kleinste hoeveelheid verliese getoon met ‘n afname van slegs 7,6% teenoor 10,8% in die formele sektor, 21,9% in die informele sektor en 23,6% in private huishoudings.
“Landbou kon daarin slaag om ‘n baie groot gedeelte van die werksmag te behou, en is daarom die sektor wat die beste vertoon,” sê mnr. Henry Geldenhuys, die president van TLU SA. “Ons hoop dat die regering twee en twee bymekaar kan tel en sien dat die inperking verwoesting gesaai het in die bedrywe wat verhoed is om te werk en dat dit verskeie langtermyn gevolge veroorsaak.”
Hoewel daar ook ‘n afname in die werkloosheidsyfer wys, het StatsSA self erken dat dit geensins dui op ‘n verbetering in die arbeidsmark nie, maar ‘n resultaat is van die inperking. Die amptelike definisie vir werkloosheid lui dat mense op soek moet wees na werk en beskikbaar moet wees vir werk. Dit was nie moontlik tydens die inperking nie.
“Dit sal ‘n geruime tyd neem vir ons om werklik die totale en werklike invloed van die volgehoue inperking op die Suid-Afrikaanse ekonomie en inwoners te bevestig,” sê mnr. Geldenhuys. “Maar tot tyd en wyl is dit duidelik dat die regering die bestaande aanslag heeltemal moet verander om die reddingsproses te begin.”
