Mpumalanga has second highest unemployment rate in SA
Third quarter figures released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) show that 672 000 people are unemployed in the province, according to their latest labour force survey.
MBOMBELA – Unemployment for the period from July to September increased by 2,8 per cent in comparison to the same period the previous year.
The expanded unemployment rate currently sits at 43,9 per cent for the province as a whole. Unemployed persons according to the expanded definition include discouraged job seekers between the ages of 15 to 64 years of age – those who want to work but are not actively searching for a job as they had lost hope in finding work that required their skills.
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StatsSA indicated that out of the 10 employment sectors, only three reflected an increase on the second quarter (April to June). The finance sector showed the largest increase with 15 000 jobs added during the third quarter, with mining increasing by 10 000 in contrast with the previous quarter. The utilities industry shed the most jobs, with 14 000 people left unemployed.
If you are out of a job, Express Employment Professionals have the following tips:
- Update and improve your résumé by including your latest employment history and ensure that your spelling and grammar are impeccable.
- Write a unique cover letter that will get a potential employer’s attention. This will help future employers screen your application to determine your employability. Include a short description of yourself and relevant skills on the letter.
- Networking is key, therefore utilise LinkedIn and other social media platforms as a tool to do an internal referral or a work search posting.
- Search for jobs which meet your experience on recruitment sites, like Indeed.com or SimplyHired.
- Employ cold calling after you have identified a couple of organisations, which are not currently advertising any posts but are rendering services for which you are qualified.
- Expand your knowledge by doing various short courses in currently trending and in-demand jobs.
- Never give up searching and don’t get discouraged by a few failed job applications.
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