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Johannesburg - The country's high unemployment levels are an indication the ANC is failing the poor, the DA said on Monday.
"President Zuma pays lip service to reducing unemployment in South Africa, but fails to follow through with his commitments," Democratic Alliance MP Tim Harris said in a statement.
He said the party had witnessed concessions by the ruling party to the Congress of SA Trade Unions on the youth wage subsidy, as well as its failure to provide clear steps for the immediate implementation of the National Development Plan.
"We call on president Zuma to stand up to Cosatu and the SA Communist Party and ensure that pro-growth policies are implemented without any further delay. He must... tell his alliance partners that the NDP will be implemented, whether they like it or not," said Harris.
Unemployment figures
Earlier, Statistics SA (Stats SA) released its Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS), which showed the number of unemployed increased by 100 000 people to 4.6 million between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
This took the country's official unemployment to 25.2% from 24.9% in the fourth quarter of 2012.
The QLFS is a household-based sample survey conducted by StatsSA and covers the labour market activities of people aged 15 to 64.
The number of discouraged work seekers increased by 73 000 to 2.3 million between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
Stats SA's official definition of unemployment is someone aged between 15 and 64 without work in the week preceding the interview, but who looks for work and is available to take up employment or open a business.
In the expanded definition of unemployment, which includes people who have stopped looking for work, the rate was 36.7% in the first quarter of 2013, the highest since 2008.
Job loss
The South African economy lost around one million jobs during the recession.
It gained 646 000 jobs since the lowest level of employment in the third quarter of 2010 (12.9 million). However, at 13.6 million, employment in the first quarter of 2013 was still lower than the 14 million before the recession.
Stats SA found the proportion of people employed or looking for work (the labour force participation rate) in the working age population declined to 54.8% between the first quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2013.
The proportion of employed people in the working age population (the absorption rate) decreased from 44.7% in the first quarter of 2008 to 41% in the first quarter of 2013.
The formal sector contracted by 0.3% (25 000 jobs) and the informal sectors by and 0.6% (13 000 jobs) between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
However, the formal sectors grew 0.8% and the informal sector 4.1% compared to a year ago.
The biggest contributor to the increase in employment was the agricultural sector, at 54 000 jobs, followed by the community and social services with 44 000.
The retail and wholesale trade sector lost 66 000 jobs between the fourth quarter of 2012 and the first quarter of 2013.
