IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH DATA ECOSYSTEMS

Key findings for the quarters ended December 2004 and March 2005.

Employment levels in the formal non-agricultural business sector were fairly static between the quarters ended December 2004 and March 2005.

According to the March 2005 Survey of Employment and Earnings (SEE) the number of persons employed in the formal non-agricultural VAT registered business sector of the South African economy decreased by about 1 000 persons from December 2004 (an estimated revised 6 559 000 employees) to March 2005 (an estimated 6 558 000 employees).

Gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended March 2005 (January 2005 to March 2005) amounted to R145 068 million. This represents a quarterly decrease of R9 017 million or -5,9% compared with the quarter ended December 2004 (October 2004 to December 2004).