The Quarterly employment survey (QES) for the first quarter of 2019 from Statistics South Africa shows an increase of 22 000 jobs (+0,2%) from 10 152 000 to 10 174 000 in the formal non-agricultural business sector.
This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services (19 000 or 0,7%), mining and quarrying (6 000 or 1,3%), manufacturing (5 000 or 0,4%) and business services (5 000 or 0,2%).
However there were decreases in the trade (-8 000 or -0,4%), transport industry (-3 000 or -0,6%), electricity industry (-1 000 or -1,6%) and construction (-1 000 or -0,2%).
Total employment increased by 76 000 or 0,8% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.
Full-time employment increased by 34 000 quarter-on-quarter, from 9 099 000 in December 2018 to 9 133 000 in March 2019. This was largely due to increases in the following industries: trade (12 000 or 0,6%), manufacturing (7 000 or 0,6%), mining and quarrying (6 000 or 1,3%), business services (6 000 or 0,3%) and construction industry (5 000 or 0,9%). The community services industry remained unchanged. A decrease was recorded in the electricity (-1 000 or -1,7%) and transport industry (-1 000 or -0,2%).
Full time employment increased by 130 000 or 1,4% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.
Part-time employment decreased by 12 000 quarter-on-quarter, from 1 053 000 in December 2018 to 1 041 000 in March 2019. This was largely due to decreases in the following industries: trade (-20 000 or -8,5%), construction industry (-6 000 or -6,6%), manufacturing (-2 000 or -2,4%), transport industry (-2 000 or -10,0%) and business services industry (-1 000 or -0,4%).
The electricity industry remained unchanged. Community service industry increased by (19 000 or 5,1%).
Part time employment decreased by 54 000 or 4,9% year-on-year between March 2018 and March 2019.
Total earnings paid to employees amounted to R688-billion in March 2019, down from R728-billion in December 2018. This is a quarterly decrease of R40-billion or 5,6%.
Decreases in gross earnings were led by community services industry with R9,6-billion, trade industry with R8-billion, manufacturing industry with R7,8-billion, construction industry with R4,7-billion, business services industry with R4,6-billion, transport industry with R3,6-billion, electricity industry with R1,5-billion and mining industry with R0,5-billion.
Gross earnings increased by R25-billion or 3,7% year-on-year.
The survey showed a decrease of 1,9% in average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector, from R21 256 thousands in November 2018 to R20 855 thousands in February 2019. Year-on-year, average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector increased by 3,8%.