Cape Town’s unemployment queue getting shorter

STATEMENT BY JAMES VOS, MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR ECONOMIC GROWTH

The City’s initiatives to support job creation continue to prove effective as Cape Town’s strict unemployment rate decreased to 26,8% from 30% in the previous quarter, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa.

This decrease in the unemployment levels from 642 000 people to 564 000 individuals is the largest percentage drop of all the metros. The number of employed Capetonians increased by 41 000 to 1 539 000.

Simultaneously, Cape Town’s unemployment rate on the broad definition remains the lowest of all the metros at 29,5%.

This proves the effectiveness of the City government’s programmes aimed at driving skills development, business growth, and investments into Cape Town.

Our Jobs Connect Workforce Development platform, for example, helps job-seekers source knowledge, training and employment opportunities, and links businesses with the appropriate individuals that will help them expand their operations. Since launching in April 2021, Jobs Connect has assessed and added more than 66 000 people to its database.

Meanwhile, the Cape Skills and Employment Accelerator Project funded by the City and the National Skills Fund, provides training and workplace experience for previously unemployed South African youth and women in high-growth industries such as call centres and clothing and textile.

The City also oversees a number of initiatives aimed at bolstering small businesses. In South Africa, small businesses 50-60% of the workforce. Platforms such as the Productivity Efficiency Programme assists SMMEs who are in distress or need guidance on improving their operations. In the past year, 18 businesses were supported by the programme, resulting in the retention of 588 jobs.

One of the greatest privileges of my work is meeting people from all over Cape Town – from boardrooms to factory floors – and witnessing how they take the opportunities given through our enterprise development workshops or workplace development programmes, and use them to unlock their own professional potential.