By Sinazo Mkoko
While the latest statistics have revealed that the country’s official unemployment rate eased marginally to 32.7% in the fourth quarter of 2022, long-term unemployment among women is higher than the national average.
Stats SA states that women are more likely to remain unemployed for longer periods, which eventually affects their chances of being employed in the future. “In this respect, in Q4:2022, 80,6% of women were in long-term unemployment compared to their male counterparts with 76,1%,” they said.
The national statistical service stated that the incidence of long-term unemployment among women has consistently been higher than the national average. “Although men recorded the highest increase in the incidence of long-term unemployment, the incidence among women was higher in 2012 and 2022.”
Stats SA said in 2022, 47,0% of South African women were recorded as economically inactive. This means that almost half of the working-age women in South Africa are out of labour force compared to 35,6% of their male counterparts.
Want to get your business featured in one of our publications?;%3C/script%3E%3C/span%3E%3C!--%20end%20HubSpot%20Call-to-Action%20Code%20--%3E)
[
](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/6405698/b365eb7c-f672-4cce-8c21-5436ac47840f) Last year, the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2022 showed that women who do find work are usually employed in vulnerable employment (often characterised by inadequate earnings, low productivity and difficult work conditions) compared to men. Only 5,8% of employed women occupy management positions, compared to 9,8% of employed men.
“Compared to men, women are more likely to remain unemployed for longer periods, which eventually affects their chances of being employed in the future. In this respect, in Q4:2022, 80,6% of women were in long-term unemployment compared to their male counterparts with 76,1%. The incidence of long-term unemployment among women has consistently been higher than the national average. Although men recorded the highest increase in the incidence of long-term unemployment, the incidence among women was higher in 2012 and 2022,” Stats SA said.
In its thirteenth edition of the South Africa Economic Update, “Building back better from COVID-19”, the World Bank has maintained that the government should focus more on supporting entrepreneurship and self-employment as they provide opportunities for job creation in South Africa.
