SA's formal employment rate rises

Johannesburg - Employment in South Africa's formal, non-farm sector nudged up 0.1% in the third quarter of 2012, with a decrease in mining jobs offset by additions to the retail and financial sectors, a survey showed on Tuesday. 

South Africa faces a chronic unemployment problem, with about a quarter of the labour force without jobs for the past 10 years.

Statistics South Africa said 10 000 people were added to formal industries in the third quarter of this year, bringing the total number of workers to 8.44 million. On a year-on-year basis the increase in employment amounted to 1% in the third quarter.

Manufacturing, which contributes 15% to GDP, added no jobs in the quarter while the mining and quarrying industry, which was hit by violent labour strikes for three months from August, shed 15 000 jobs.

The mining sector dragged GDP growth down to 1.2% from 3.4% in the second quarter and analysts estimate the weak growth and job losses will be even more pronounced in the final three months of the year.