Although 40 000 jobs were ‘lost’ in the agricultural sector in the second quarter of 2017, this was in line with seasonal norms due to reduced horticultural a
ctivity.
This was according to Agbiz economist Wandile Sihlobo, who said that employment in the sector now stood at 835 000.
Sihlobo added that the bulk of agriculture job losses had been in the horticulture, forestry and aquaculture industries.
Statistics SA released its second-quarter (Q2) labour force survey on 7 August. This revealed that employment had increased in some sectors and decreased in others, with the general unemployment rate remaining unchanged from the first quarter (Q1).
Employment had declined to 16,1 million but a decline in the number of job seekers meant that the unemployment rate had remained unchanged at 27,7%. Employment had declined in six out of ten industries. The largest number of job losses were in construction (110 000), followed by agriculture (40 000).
