Enlarge image
Demonstration by academics against unemployment in South Africa 2020
Photo: Phill Magakoe/AFP
In South Africa, since the quarterly survey began in 2008, so many people have never been registered as unemployed.
The unemployment rate in the country has peaked at 35.3 percent against the background of long-lasting corona restrictions.
The rate climbed to this value in the fourth quarter of last year, as the national statistics office has now announced.
This means that 7.9 million people are registered as unemployed in Africa's second largest economy - compared to the previous three months by 278,000.
Too much focus on commodities
The number of people who have given up looking for a job is not recorded.
If they are included, the rate is even 46.2 percent.
Their share was even slightly higher in the third quarter of 2021 at 46.6 percent.
There is enormous social inequality in many places in South Africa.
The effects of the corona restrictions on the economy are devastating, especially since the economy was already in recession before the virus crisis.
South Africa has been struggling with structural economic problems and an unreliable power supply for years.
The strong focus on the raw materials sector is also problematic.
The pandemic and the corresponding rules have exacerbated the situation significantly in the past year.
The poor economic situation broke out in the summer of 2021 in the form of violent protests and riots.
Motorways were blocked, shops, offices and warehouses were looted, shopping malls were burned down.
Hundreds of people were killed and many more were arrested.
The protests were triggered by the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma, who had refused to testify in a corruption trial.
Zuma was president from 2009 to 2018, and he was already confronted with the first allegations of corruption during his tenure.
Specifically, he is accused of money laundering and fraud in connection with a multi-billion dollar arms deal, Zuma rejects the allegations.
apr/dpa
