Government has welcomed the marginal employment growth of 0.4% from 10 674 000 in March to 10 716 000 in June, saying this indicated its commitment to working with social partners to stabilise the economy.

Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Employment Statistics revealed that the community services industry contributed most to the increase.

This, and the expansion of South Africa’s GDP by 0.2%, announced earlier this month, showed that the “prudent economic path” taken to turn around the country’s economy was starting to pay off, government said.

It added these statistics would bring debt relief and bolster household incomes.  

Government Communication and Information System acting director-general Nomonde Mnukwa said the growth was a testament to the commitment made during February’s State of the Nation Address, to ensure economic growth that encouraged business development and created more employment.

“The positive developments mean that the government’s structural reforms are unlocking the bottlenecks and removing red tape to drive inclusive growth and job creation. South Africa’s business-friendly approach paves a positive sentiment, signalling that South Africa is becoming more and more of an investment destination,” she said.