Media Release                                                                                         12 December 2017 QUARTERLY EMPLOYMENT STATISTICS The results of the Quarterly Employment Survey for the third quarter of 2017 released by Statistics South Africa today, show a decline of 31 000 jobs (or -0.3%) to 9 589 000  in the formal non-agricultural sector in the quarter ended in September 2017.  This is a   read more »

New figures from the QES showed that South Africa’s formal non-agricultural sector shed 31 000 jobs in the third quarter of 2017. With losses of 41 000 in March 2017 and 31 000 in June 2017, this marks the third straight quarter of job losses across South Africa. The job market has experienced notable pressure in the last   read more »

  Press statement                 Embargo: Tuesday 5 December 2017, 11:30   GDP in the third quarter of 2017 grew by 2,0% Gross domestic product (measured by production) South Africa’s real gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate was 2,0% in the third quarter of 2017. Second quarter GDP growth was revised from 2,5%   read more »

The South African economy grew by 2,0% in the third quarter of 2017 (seasonally adjusted and annualised), down from a revised 2,8% in the second quarter. Agriculture, mining and manufacturing were the main drivers of the expansion, while there was a contraction in general government services resulting from low employment numbers in the public sector.   read more »

Want to know how your taxes are spent? Stats SA recently published a breakdown of government spending for 2015/16. Did you know that more money was spent on servicing debt than on tertiary education, and more on defence than on environmental protection? Explore what else government spends money on, as well as other stories, in   read more »

Stats SA recently released a complete overview of total government spending for 2015/16, providing insight into where your tax contributions have gone. Did you know that more money was spent on the police than on primary education, and more on defence than on environmental protection? Have a look at this infographic for more. According to   read more »

“Better lives with better economic statistics.” This is the theme for African Statistics Day 2017, taking place on 18 November. In celebration of this prestigious day, Stats SA explores the archives to find four facts on the South African economy that you might have missed. African Statistics Day was initiated by the United Nations to   read more »

South African businesses are borrowing more money. The amount of debt held by the formal business sector1 was up 5,9% in 2016 compared with 2015. Total debt amounted to R5,7 trillion in 2016. The rise in debt was observed in eight of the nine industries, according to Stats SA’s latest Annual financial statistics (AFS) release2.   read more »

Black Friday is coming to our stores once again. This is one holiday that is known to usher in the festive season shopping and most shoppers always welcome it with excitement as it gives them a perfect opportunity to do their Christmas shopping or buy the goods they have been eyeing for a while at   read more »

The formal business sector, excluding agriculture and financial intermediation, generated R2,3 trillion in turnover during the second quarter of 2017, i.e. the months of April, May and June. Who was responsible for generating this amount? Stats SA’s Quarterly Financial Statistics (QFS) report, which provides regular updates on the financial state and makeup of South Africa’s   read more »