Pick-up in jobs, salaries in '09

Pretoria - Employment in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between the quarters ended September 2009 and December 2009, Statistics SA said on Tuesday.

The Pretoria-based agency was releasing its Quarterly Employment Statistics Survey for December 2009.

The survey showed that the number of people employed in the formal non-agricultural business sector of the South African economy increased by about 18 000 (or +0.2%) from September 2009 (an estimated 8 143 000 employees) to December 2009 (an estimated 8 161 000 employees).

Statistics SA said gross earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between the quarters ended September 2009 and December 2009.

The gross earnings paid amounted to R294.509m. This reflected a quarterly increase of R31.485m (or +12%) compared with the quarter ended September 2009, the agency said.

However, employment in the formal non-agricultural business sector decreased between the quarters ended December 2008 and December 2009.

According to the survey, an estimated 8 161 000 people were employed in the formal non-agricultural business sector of the South African economy.

This reflected an annual decrease of about 351 000 employees (or -4.1%) compared with December 2008 (an estimated 8 512 000 employees).

Pay hikes

According to Statistics SA, gross earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between the quarters ended December 2008 and December 2009.

Gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended December 2009 (October 2009 to December 2009) amounted to R294 509 million.

This reflected an annual increase of R20 552m (or +7.5%) compared with the quarter ended December 2008 (October 2008 to December 2008).

The agency said average monthly earnings, including bonuses and overtime payments, paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between August 2009 and November 2009.

The December 2009 Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) survey reflected a quarterly increase of 4% in average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector between August 2009 (an estimated R10 278) and November 2009 (an estimated R10 694), it added.

Statistics SA said average monthly earnings, including bonuses and overtime payments, paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector increased between November 2008 and November 2009.

The December 2009 QES survey reflected an annual increase of 12.2% in average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural business sector between November 2008 (an estimated R9 527) and November 2009 (an estimated R10 694), Statistics SA said.

- Sapa