Original Research

The challenge of low employment economic growth in South Africa: 1994 -2008

Darma Mahadea, Richard Simson
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences | Vol 13, No 4 | a92 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/sajems.v13i4.92 | © 2010 Darma Mahadea, Richard Simson | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 30 August 2010 | Published: 01 December 2010

About the author(s)

Darma Mahadea, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
Richard Simson, University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Full Text:

PDF (240KB)

Abstract

The formal sector in South Africa is unable to provide adequate employment for labour although the economy registered positive economic growth rates over the past 15 years since the demise of apartheid.  This is a critical problem, given the current recessionary climate and recent developments in the economies of our trading partners.  While government has responded with many initiatives to deal with employment creation, unemployment rates remain high.  This problem is examined by reviewing South Africa’s growth performance and links to employment and posits various alternative strategies.  The growth elasticity of employment is found to be rather low over the 1994-2008 period, and even over a longer time horizon the marginal growth employment effect is found to be rather weak.
   

Keywords

No related keywords in the metadata.

Metrics

Total abstract views: 6263
Total article views: 12150

 

Crossref Citations

1. The Impact of Productivity, Investment and Real Wages on Employment Absorption Rate in South Africa
Thomas Habanabakize, Daniel Francois Meyer, Judit Oláh
Social Sciences  vol: 8  issue: 12  first page: 330  year: 2019  
doi: 10.3390/socsci8120330

2. Relationship between fiscal deficits and unemployment in South Africa
Juniours Marire
Journal of Economic and Financial Sciences  vol: 15  issue: 1  year: 2022  
doi: 10.4102/jef.v15i1.693

3. Investigation of the Youth Informal Entrepreneurship Landscape in South Africa
Simbarashe Murozvi, Charles Adams, Derek Yu
Southern African Business Review  vol: 26  year: 2023  
doi: 10.25159/1998-8125/11932

4. The impact of economic growth on unemployment in South Africa: 1994 – 2012
Handson Banda, Ireen Choga
Corporate Ownership and Control  vol: 12  issue: 4  first page: 699  year: 2015  
doi: 10.22495/cocv12i4c7p1

5. Human capital and economic growth in South Africa: A cross-municipality panel data analysis
Nicholas Ngepah, Charles S. Saba, Ntombomzi G. Mabindisa
South African Journal of Economic and Management Sciences  vol: 24  issue: 1  year: 2021  
doi: 10.4102/sajems.v24i1.3577

6. Black African mainline churches and economic struggle: A black liberation perspective on Miriam Makeba’s ‘A luta continua’
Jacob Mokhutso
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies  year: 2025  
doi: 10.4102/HTS.v81i1.10574

7. Employment elasticity of output growth in Kazakhstan economy: Recent evidence from a macroeconomic perspective
Javaid Ahmad Bhat, Imtiyaz ul Haq, Sajad Ahmad Bhat, Nikolay Megits
Journal of Eastern European and Central Asian Research (JEECAR)  vol: 9  issue: 2  first page: 369  year: 2022  
doi: 10.15549/jeecar.v9i2.852

8. Dynamic link between budget deficits and unemployment: evidence from selected African countries
Samwel Mwigeka
Cogent Social Sciences  vol: 11  issue: 1  year: 2025  
doi: 10.1080/23311886.2025.2553881

9. Labour Productivity, Wages, and Social Welfare: Implications for South Africa’s Budget Deficit and Fiscal Policy
Marlin Jason Fortuin, Patricia Lindelwa Makoni
Social Sciences  vol: 14  issue: 12  first page: 716  year: 2025  
doi: 10.3390/socsci14120716

10. TÜRKİYE’DE SEKTÖREL EKONOMİK BÜYÜME VE SEKTÖREL İSTİHDAM İLİŞKİSİ: FOURIER TODA-YAMAMOTO NEDENSELLİK TESTİNDEN KANITLAR
Ali Rauf Karataş
Uluslararası İktisadi ve İdari İncelemeler Dergisi  issue: Advanced Online Publication  year: 2026  
doi: 10.18092/ulikidince.1604582