According to Stats SA’s quarterly employment survey, employment grew by 42 000 between the last quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2022.
The growth was ascribed to increases in community services jobs, which grew by 2.4%. Manufacturing increased by 0.7% or 8 000 jobs and mining jobs ticked up 0.4% or 2 000.
Full-time employment ticked up by 1 000 over the same period to 8 881 000 in March. This increase was largely attributed to business services, which saw an increase of 0.7%, and mining.
However, the trade sector saw a drop of 18 000 jobs while construction recorded a reduction of 1.7%.
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Jobs in business services were down 0.3% while transport lost 2 000 jobs.
Total employment was up by 200 000 year on year between March 2021 and March 2022.
Full-time employment increased by 8 000 or (0.1%) year on year between March last year and March 2022.
Part-time work
Part-time employment recorded the largest increase, growing by 18.6% or 192 000 jobs year on year between March 2021 and March 2022.
On a quarterly basis, part-time employment grew by 41 000 or 3.5% quarter on quarter, from 1 182 000 in December 2021 to 1 223 000 in March 2022.
The increase was attributed to rises in community services (70 000 or 12.6%), manufacturing (12 000 or 15.6%) and transport (1 000 or 6.7%).
However, there were decreases in the following industries: business services (-22 000 or -9.7%), trade (-12 000 or -5.1%) and construction (-8 000 or -11.4%).
Earnings
Gross earnings paid to employees went down by R28.2 billion or (-3.4%) from R827.3 billion in December 2021 to R799.1 billion in March 2022. The drop in earnings was recorded in the community services, manufacturing, transport, trade, construction and electricity industries.
However, increases in gross earnings were reported in the business services and mining industries.
Total gross earnings increased by R56.6 billion or (7.6%) year on year between March 2021 and March 2022.
A decrease in basic salaries in industries such as community services, transport, construction and electricity resulted in a R4.5 billion or (-0.6%) from R720.2 billion between December 2021 to R715.7 billion in March 2022.
Year on year basic salary/wages increased by R43.1 billion or (6.4%) between March 2021 and March 2022.
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Data from Stats SA showed that bonuses paid to employees were down by R21.7 billion or (-25,6%) from R84.7 billion in December 2021 to R63 billion in March 2022.
This was largely due to decreases in industries such as community services, manufacturing, trade, transport, construction and electricity, with only the business services industry reporting a quarterly increase.
Few employees earned overtime pay between December 2021 and March 2022; overtime payments were down by R2 billion or (-8,9%) from R22.4 billion in December 2021 to R20.4 billion in March 2022.
This was largely due to decreases in community services, manufacturing, business services, construction, transport and electricity, with just the trade industry reporting a quarterly increase.
Meanwhile, average monthly earnings showed a quarter on quarter decrease of 1.4%, from R23 828 in November 2021 to R23 502 in February 2022. This translated to an average monthly earnings increase of 1.8%.
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