The people of the Free State, particularly the youth, remain victims of the Provincial Government’s inability to revive the provincial economy and create jobs.
StatsSA, today, released its Quarterly Labour Force Survey results for the 3rd Quarter of 2019. Using the narrow definition of unemployment, the total number of unemployed people in the country is reported to be 6.7 million people (the approximate estimation of the entire Western Cape population), the Free State Province also finds itself in the basket of provinces with an increase in the levels of unemployment.
The official unemployment rate increased in six of the nine provinces with the largest increase recorded in the Free State including 5 other provinces. The expanded unemployment rate remained unchanged at 38,5% nationally between Q2: 2019 and Q3: 2019. However, the largest Quarter to Quarter increase was recorded in the Free State with a 0,9 percentage point increase.
This disappointment comes after the failed promises of the provincial government and the MEC of Education to provide the youth of this Province with employment opportunities. Over 65% of young people under the age of 25 living in the Free State are unemployed and the government has done little to rectify this fissure in the economy.
Therefore, the DA believes that the government must, without delay, live up to its promise to better the quality of life of our people by providing the youth with an enabling economic environment and fair opportunities that will enable them to find meaningful employment and improve the quality of their lives.
The DA remains committed to promoting an open opportunity society for all, where the youth of this country is afforded opportunities to realize their full potential and will continue to hold the government accountable to its promise.