The total number of jobs reported in the first quarter showed an increase of 56 000 from the previous quarter, bringing the total number of persons employed in the formal non-agricultural sector to 9 838 000. According to the figures from the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) Survey, formal sector jobs rose year-on-year by 74 000 in the first quarter   read more »

South Africa’s consumer inflation rate jumped to 4,5% in April after reaching a seven-year low of 3,8% in March. Much of the increase was a result of price rises in product groups that attract specific taxes, namely alcohol, fuel and sugary drinks. A one percentage point increase in value added tax (VAT) also came into   read more »

The PPI for January will be published at 11:30 on 28 February 2018 instead of 22 February as originally scheduled. The delay is a result of system difficulties experienced in shifting to the new PPI basket. The CMPI will be published at 12:00 on 28 February. The Import and export unit value indices will be   read more »

It’s hard to believe. It goes against what we often hear. Whether chatting with friends around the braai or debating with family at the dinner table, almost everyone has a story to tell about their own experiences with rising prices. Surprisingly, data show that there are in fact items that are cheaper now than they   read more »

More bad news looms for job-seekers as the formal non-agricultural sector of the economy reported a decline of 34 000 jobs for the quarter ended June 2017. This is according to the latest Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) report released by Statistics South Africa. The QES data tracks changes in employment at the establishment level, and thus   read more »

After two consecutive quarters of decline, the South African economy spluttered back to life in the second quarter of 2017. Positive contributions to higher economic activity across most industries – in particular agriculture, finance and mining – lifted the gross domestic product (GDP) by 2,5% quarter-on-quarter (seasonally adjusted and annualised). Agriculture continued to show strong   read more »

Media advisory                                                                                                             read more »

International Whisk(e)y Day is on 27 March1. If you consider yourself a connoisseur of bourbon or rye, then the following is for you. Take a brief tour of what Stats SA has to say about whiskey in terms of its popularity and price. If whiskey is your preferred alcoholic beverage, you stand somewhat apart from   read more »

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                                                                             27 January 2017 New basket and weights for the Consumer Price Index (CPI)   There are 412 products and services in the new CPI basket, an increase from 396, which now includes new products such as instant noodles, frozen pizzas and pies, and ready-mixed flour products. Stats SA announced the changes to the   read more »

Stats SA recently announced changes to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket of goods and services. The changes provide interesting insight into how consumer spending patterns have shifted over the last four years. The basket forms the basis from which the monthly CPI is calculated. There are 412 products and services in the new basket,   read more »