The coronavirus pandemic has taken the World by storm and this includes South Africa. Even though much of the attention has been paid to Asia, where the pandemic started, and Europe as well as the United States, who have continued to struggle with the pandemic, South Africa is having its own issues. Even before the pandemic, South Africa was having major issues dealing with its unemployment problems. Now, given the coronavirus pandemic, this issue has been made even worse. When looking at the current situation, it is important to keep a few points regarding South African unemployment in mind.
Why Has the Job Market Gotten Worse?
Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has only made the situation in South Africa worse. There are several reasons why the job market has continued to decline amidst the coronavirus pandemic. First, many businesses have been forced to shelter in place. This means that they might not even be able to open on a regular basis. As a result, their revenue streams are starting to dry up. This means that they might be forced to lay people off, adding to the unemployment issue.
Another major problem relates to global supply chain issues. There are lots of businesses that both send and receive resources to and from South Africa. Given the disparate restrictions throughout the world, these businesses might have issues fulfilling their contracts. This could lead to serious legal issues, particularly breach of contract cases, placing further strain on businesses and contributing to unemployment problems.
What Do the Latest Numbers Show?
When looking at the latest numbers regarding unemployment in South Africa, it is relatively easy to get confused. Recently, numbers were released showing that the South African unemployment rate actually dropped to around 23 percent. This is the lowest level in 11 years. Therefore, it is easy for people to get confused and think that this is a good thing.
On the other hand, the number of people who are not currently active in the workforce in South Africa actually increased by more than 5 million. As a result, putting these two numbers together, it is actually possible that people in South Africa have simply given up and are not looking for work. They may think that there is no way they are going to find work during the lockdown.
In addition, the number of people who are actually employed in South Africa dropped to around 14 million. This represents a decrease of more than two million people. This is the lowest employment level in South Africa dating back to 2011.
How Can People Find Work in South Africa?
It is important for everyone in South Africa to tell that there is hope. As long as they keep looking for jobs, it is possible that they will find something eventually. There is one platform that everyone in South Africa should be using to find a job. This platform is called Giraffe.
Giraffe is a completely free platform for jobseekers. This platform makes money by charging businesses to post their openings. Globally, this platform works with around 3,000 businesses and reaches approximately 10 million people who are looking for jobs. On this platform, people can take a look at the various openings that are available, share their information, and even apply for jobs. This is a great way for everyone in South Africa to continue looking for work.
Right now, it is important for everyone to stick together. Once there is a vaccine available, it will be possible to fight the pandemic effectively. Then, the job market in South Africa should improve.
