The number of people employed in the formal non-agricultural business sector decreased by 79 000 from December 2009 to March 2010, Stats SA said in its March 2010 Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) survey.
The quarterly decrease for the same period last year was 2.2%, StatSA said.
Employment in the formal non-agricultural business sector also showed an annual decrease of 242 000 between the quarters ended March 2009 and March 2010.
The gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended March 2010 amounted to R289,436m.
"This reflects a quarterly decrease of R13,925m (-4,6%) compared with the quarter ended December 2009," StatSA said.
However, it reflected an annual increase of R30,213m compared with the quarter ended March 2009.
Average monthly earnings, including bonuses and overtime payments, in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between November 2009 and February 2010.
The March 2010 QES survey reflected a quarterly increase of 1.6% in average monthly earnings between November 2009, when they were about R11,020 and February 2010, about R11,195.
Statistics SA said average monthly earnings, including bonuses and overtime payments, also increased between February 2009 and February 2010.
The March QES survey reflected an annual increase of 16.4% in average monthly earnings between February 2009, when they
were estimated at R9614, and February 2010, when they were about R11,195.
- Sapa