South Africa’s sales and services sector is one of the country’s biggest employers, with more than 118,000 new jobs created in the second quarter of 2023.
More than 2,8 million people are currently employed in this field, with 242,000 of these employees finding jobs in the past year.
The clerical sector, which includes administration and office work, has also been hiring growing numbers of workers, with 1,8 million people now employed; this is an increase of 109,000 people from the first three months of the year to the second quarter, and an extra 256,000 from the year before.
Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFC) results released this week show, however, that elementary occupations gave the most number of South Africans new jobs in Q2, with 152,000 additional employments. Almost 4 million people are now working in this unskilled labour sector, an increase of 334,000 in one year.
Workers in this sector are normally responsible for routine, often manual tasks, including cleaning, restocking supplies, and performing basic maintenance in buildings, kitchens, offices, workshops, hospitals, and other buildings.
Technicians also saw high levels of employment, with 103,000 new jobs in Q2.
During the same period, however, large employment decreases were recorded in managerial occupations (down 202,000 jobs), craft and related trade (down 91,000 jobs) skilled agriculture (down 17 000 jobs), and plant and machine operator occupations (down 11,000 jobs).
The figures differ from province to province, which means that, depending on where you live, you will have a higher or lower chance of finding a job in your sector.
These are the biggest employment sectors by province, as revealed in the Q2 QLFS.
Jobs in the Western Cape
Community and social services offer the highest numbers of jobs in the province, with 587,000 people currently employed. While this is an increase of 23,000 jobs in Q2, it is the Construction industry that has created the most jobs. The Agricultural sector is responsible for the most job losses.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Construction: 74,000 new jobs (244,000 employees)
- Transport: 35,000 new jobs (172,000 employees)
- Private households: 25,000 new jobs (165,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Agriculture: 50,000 job losses (200,000 employees)
- Finance: 38,000 job losses (453,000 employees)
- Manufacturing: 14,000 job losses (345,000 employees)
Jobs in the Eastern Cape
In this province, Agriculture provided the most new jobs in Q2 2023, with 31,000 new employments. This was followed by Community and social services and Private households, with each sector adding 18,000 new jobs. The Manufacturing sector experienced the highest number of job losses.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Agriculture: 31,000 new jobs (121,000 employees)
- Community and social services: 18,000 new jobs (416,000 employees)
- Private households: 18,000 new jobs (99,000 employees)
- Construction: 7,000 new jobs (141,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Manufacturing: 18,000 job losses (127,000 employees)
- Trade: 15,000 job losses (297,000 employees)
- Finance: 11,000 job losses (155,000 employees)
Jobs in the Northern Cape
Community and social services is responsible for the highest number of employees in this province, with 108,000 people working in this sector. However, this indicates a loss of 1,000 jobs. Only two sectors recorded job increases, including Mining and Construction.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Mining: 7,000 new jobs (25,000 employees)
- Construction: 6,000 new jobs (31,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Finance: 11,000 job losses (31,000 employees)
- Manufacturing: 5,000 job losses (12,000 employees)
- Agriculture: 3,000 job losses (38,000 employees)
- Trade: 5,000 job losses (43,000 employees)
- Transport: 5,000 job losses (11,000 employees
Jobs in the Free State
The only sector in this province to have seen an increase in jobs in Q2 was Construction, with 8,000 new jobs. This takes the total number of people employed in this sector in the Free State to 52,000. Community and social services employs the highest number of people, but shed 26,000 jobs.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Construction: 8,000 new jobs (52,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Community and social services: 26,000 job losses (205,000 employees)
- Agriculture: 11,000 job losses (71,000 employees)
- Private households: 11,000 job losses (54,000 employees)
- Finance: 8,000 job losses (74,000 employees)
Jobs in KwaZulu-Natal
The sector with the highest number of employed people is Community and social services, which also created an additional 31,000 jobs in Q2. In this province, the sector that saw the most job losses was Manufacturing.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Community and social services: 31,000 new jobs (634,000 employees)
- Trade: 17,000 new jobs (545,000 employees)
- Construction: 6,000 new jobs (231,000 employees)
- Agriculture: 5,000 new jobs (148,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Manufacturing: 17,000 job losses (323,000 employees)
- Transport: 15,000 job losses (177,000 employees)
Jobs in the North West
Compared to some other provinces, very few new jobs were gained in Q2. The top sector for additional employment was Trade, while the sector with the highest number of job losses was Construction. Community and social services remained stable with 223,000 people employed.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Trade: 11,000 new jobs (182,000 employees)
- Transport: 6,000 new jobs (43,000 employees)
- Utilities: 6,000 new jobs (9,000 employees)
- Mining: 6,000 new jobs (129,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Construction: 15,000 job losses (49,000 employees)
- Agriculture: 7,000 job losses (39,000 employees)
- Finance: 3,000 job losses (108,000 employees)
Jobs in Gauteng
The Community and social services sector is the highest employer in Gauteng with 1,134 million employees, but did not create any additional jobs. Only two sectors saw new job creation, with Trade being the top. The sectors that saw the most job losses were Manufacturing and Construction.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Trade: 86,000 new jobs (1,092,000 employees)
- Finance: 18,000 new jobs (1,161,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Manufacturing: 40,000 job losses
- Construction: 21,000 job losses (317,000 employees)
- Transport: 12,000 job losses (353,000 employees)
Jobs in Mpumalanga
This is another province where very few new jobs were created in Q2. The Trade sector was the biggest employer, followed by Agriculture, while the most jobs lost were in the Finance and Manufacturing sectors.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Trade: 18,000 new jobs (251,000 employees)
- Agriculture: 20,000 new jobs (101,000 employees)
- Mining: 2,000 new jobs (66,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Finance: 16,000 job losses (120,000 employees)
- Manufacturing: 15,000 job losses (81,000 employees)
- Community and social services: 6,000 job losses (260,000 employees)
Jobs in Limpopo
The Agriculture sector was responsible for the most new jobs in Q2, with 25,000, followed by the Mining sector. More sectors in this province saw job increases than job losses. Most job losses were in the Trade sector.
Biggest job gains in Q2:
- Agriculture: 25,000 new jobs (149,000 employees)
- Manufacturing: 20,000 new jobs (76,000 employees)
- Mining: 16,000 new jobs (117,000 employees)
- Community and social services: 12,000 new jobs (399,000 employees)
Biggest job losses in Q2:
- Trade: 12,000 job losses (270,000 employees)
- Transport: 10,000 job losses (55,000 employees)
Notes:
* Utilities refers to electricity, gas and water supply.
* Trade refers to wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles, motorcycles and personal and household goods; hotels and restaurants.
* Finance refers to financial intermediation, insurance, real estate and business services.
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