South Africa’s economy created 56 000 jobs in the formal sector in the first three months of this year, bringing the total number of persons employed in the formal non-agricultural sector to 9.8 million.
The Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) Survey, shows that construction and manufacturing industries added 12 000 and 9 000 respectively.
Moderate gains were also reported in the business services industry with a slight increase of four thousand jobs in the first quarter.
The stats agency in a statement said job losses were recorded in three of the eight industries surveyed, with the largest decline in the trade industry which shed 26 000 jobs.
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9,8m million people were #employed during Q1:2018, up by 0,6% compared with the previous quarter. Biggest gains were in the community services industry. #Trade recorded biggest job losses #StatsSA https://t.co/ofGfVusVXw pic.twitter.com/ldjc4UFIyy
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) June 26, 2018