The study strives to highlight the factors contributing to unemployment in South Africa, specifically economic factors. The primary focus of the study is to analyse the impact of unemployment within the economy. The core the underlying causes of unemployment within the economy are low standard of education, low standard of living, and ineffective macroeconomic policies such as Growth, Employment and Redistribution (GEAR). The assumption of the study is that unemployment is a socioeconomic issue which the government is struggling to address adequately. The study outlines the challenges faced by the government in tackling unemployment. It also uses the Kuyga Township as a case study, analysing the impact of unemployment and poverty within the community. The government has made efforts to address the aforementioned issue. It established specific macroeconomic policies to remedy the situation. However, these policies fell short and were ineffective. The apartheid system created an environment that continues to perpetuate both unemployment and poverty especially within poor communities. Kuyga Township has a high rate of unemployment which contributes to poverty. The study’s aim was to investigate the impact of unemployment in Nelson Mandela Bay area, determine the rate of unemployment, and compare strategies, projects and or programmes creating job opportunities in the area. It evaluated the success and failure of policies and strategies formulated to combat unemployment and alleviate poverty. The study also strived to determine the number of individuals affected by unemployment in Kuyga Township and the Nelson Mandela Bay area. The study makes recommendation and proposes plausible measures which the government could implement in order to manage and curtail the prevalence of unemployment and poverty within the Kuyga Township. It also highlights the role thatbusinesses can play in creating employment opportunities within the community.

Unemployment in South Africa has been escalating over the past few years. Unemployment is the most serious economic problem facing South African society. It is not only partly responsible for the widespread poverty, continuing violence and an unacceptably high incidence of crime, but it deprives many South Africans of the privilege of fulfilling their vocation. There is no single satisfactory answer of unemployment and its impact on the economy of South Africa. The aim of the research report is to evaluate unemployment-curbing projects in the Mdantsane community in order to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants. In order to formulate a conceptual and theoretical framework of the study, a theoretical foundation of the study, unemployment frameworks, theories of development particularly local economic development, the meaning of Local Economic, development and theories underpinning Local economic development and related literature on unemployment. The research methodology for the study is descriptive, sourced from available literature. Due to the restricted extent of the research, no empirical survey will be conducted. A number of normative criteria to deal with the research problem will be identified from the available literature, from which conclusions will be drawn and recommendations made.

Inflation and unemployment are perhaps the two most important challenges that face the South African economy of today. Firstly, the study examines the relationship between monetary policy and the two economic fundamentals (inflation and unemployment), using the VEC modeling technique. The model regresses the monetary policy variable against inflation and unemployment growth over the period 1980-2008. The results suggest that (1) there is a long run relationship between inflation and unemployment (2) monetary policy reacts more to variations in inflation compared to variations in unemployment. Secondly, the relationship between inflation and unemployment as explained by the Phillips curve is investigated. The results show that there is a positive relationship between inflation and unemployment.

Thesis (M. Dev.) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / The research report gives a critical review of the factors that contributed to the nonsustainability of the employment of the beneficiaries of the Expanded Public Works Programme in the Limpopo Province of South Africa with special focus on the Greater Giyani Municipality. The main problem as identified by the researcher is that a large majority of former Expanded Public Works Programme beneficiaries end up being unemployed despite the fact that the government spent money on skills training for them in an effort to equip them with skills so that they can be employable in other sectors of the economy when they exit the programme. The report clarifies the factors that contributed to the beneficiaries not managing to get new employment after exiting the programme. The report also clarifies the roles played by the different stakeholders in the implementation of the programme and this assists in clarifying the origin of the problems that led to the failures of the programme. From the research done the researcher found that skills’ training has not been done in most projects and also that where training was done the skills training was for none accredited courses which were not equipping the beneficiaries to be employable in the job market. The key words in the research are Expanded Public Works Programme, Employability, and Skills training.

Thesis (M. Sc. (Statistics)) --University of Limpopo, 2017. / South Africa is one of the countries with chronic high unemployment rate. The unemployment rate has consistently been above 24% for a considerable period of time. It is important for policy and decision makers to know the type of persons who are unemployed, and underemployed in order to come up with the right intervention. The purpose of this study was to find and describe the determinants of unemployment, underemployment, and earnings in South Africa. In order to realize the objectives of the study, secondary data from 2012 Quarterly Labour Force Survey was used. Statistics South Africa collects labour market related information from persons between the age of 15 and 64. The data have information on status of unemployment, underemployment and earnings and other related to variables. Logistic regression was applied on the data and it was found that age, gender, population group, marital status, level of education, and province were significant determinants of unemployment in South Africa. Gender, population group, sector, marital status and contract duration were found to be significantly associated with time-related underemployment. Generalised linear model was applied on the data and it was found that gender, population group, marital status, level of education contract duration, geographical location, and sector were the determinants of earnings.

Thesis( M.Com. (Economics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / The concepts of economic growth and unemployment are at the beginning of the most important variables in the sense that all economies are choosing and implementing economic policies. The study examined the relationship between economic growth and unemployment in South Africa during 2005 to 2016 using the quarterly time series data. Cointegration test, Vector Error Correction Model (VECM) and granger causality test were employed in the analysis. The variables utilized in the investigation include the gross domestic product (LGDP), unemployment rate (UN), labour productivity (LP) and government budget deficit (GD). Stationarity test was conducted and the results indicated that all the variables were found stationary at first difference. Johansen Cointegration test confirmed that the long run relationship exist among variables under the study. More so, the VECM results showed that unemployment (UN) has a negative and insignificant impact on the gross domestic product (LGDP). Finally, the study also tested the granger causality between the variables to determine the short run relationship. Based on the findings above, the study therefore recommends that the government needs to cut taxes for businesses and individuals to increase investment spending to stimulate economic growth. Moreover, government should as a matter of urgency create more employment opportunities to absorb the teeming population of the unemployed labour force in the country through modernization of the agricultural sector, bring in modern equipment in the facilities of agriculture to make the sector more attractive to all citizens despite one’s qualifications and professions, as that alone would go a long way in reducing unemployment level in the country.

Thesis (M. Dev. (Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / Local Economic Development (LED) has been practised in different countries to deal with poverty and unemployment at the local level. The success that the LED brought upon towards addressing these economic problems, led to the South African government to also undertake the LED initiatives to address poverty and unemployment that exist at the municipal level. Therefore, municipalities which are strategically closest to communities are responsible for poverty alleviation and employment creation in their local areas. The study sought to investigate the effectiveness of LED on poverty alleviation in rural areas of South Africa. The research objectives were as follows: to explore the concept of Local Economic Development, determine the types of poverty alleviation models and to assess the effectiveness of Local Economic Development to alleviate poverty in rural areas of South Africa. The study applied a semi-structured questionnaire and further considered literature review to achieve the research objectives focusing on Makhuduthamaga Local Municipality. A simple random sampling method was employed to select appropriately 100 participants in the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to process data, whilst, the content analysis method was also used for descriptive statistics. The study discovered that lack of resources including staff, skills and budget affect the undertakings of the LED activities in the communities negatively. Moreover, it was revealed that there is a need for community participation particularly towards successful implementation of the LED.

A report on a research study presented to The Department of Social Work School of Human and Community Development Faculty of Humanities University of the Witwatersrand In partial fulfilment of the requirements For the degree Master of Arts in Social Development March, 2019 / The increasing number of unemployed graduates is of great concern worldwide. In countries, such as Zimbabwe, the economic crisis is so persistent that many Zimbabwean students migrate to South Africa to complete degrees in the hope of securing employment soon after completing their degrees. However, they too are currently facing challenges related to unemployment. In order to explore this phenomenon, the research design was explorative in nature. A phenomenological study was thus conducted to explore the experiences of unemployed Zimbabwean graduates. The theoretical framework underpinning the study were the social exclusion theory and capability theory. The sampling method utilized in the study was non-probability, purposive sampling. The sample of participants in this study consisted of twelve unemployed Zimbabwean graduates. The research instrument used was an interview guide. Individual interviews were conducted with participants to gather data. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. The findings indicated that unemployed Zimbabwean graduates face many challenges in the South African context which disempower them from reaching the goal of obtaining job-satisfying employment. Based on conclusions reached, recommendations are made related to addressing the problem-situation constructively. In relation to social development, the study contributes to the current debates on migration and unemployment, especially addressing issues including policy recommendations on the intervention strategies to be provided to address issues of unemployment amongst graduates. / MT 2020

Thesis (MBA. (Business Administration)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / This study investigated the socio-economic effects of the youth unemployment on the economy of Limpopo Province. Youth unemployment is rife in the province whereby drugs, alcohol abuse, HIV/AIDS, and crime affect young people. A great number of these young people are unskilled or semi-skilled and are therefore not able to create jobs for themselves; they rely on government for job creation. Thus, a research was conducted in Capricorn District of Limpopo Province, wherein participants were drawn from two municipalities. The two municipalities that were identified for the study were Polokwane and Lepelle-Nkumpi. These municipalities were identified due to the number of active youth programmes that they conduct. A total of 54 individuals participated in the study. They included the municipality officials and the young people. A quantitative research approach was used to collect and analyse data. A Likert scale was used as a research instrument to collect data. Self-administered questionnaires were distributed to the selected participants. Thus, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 was used to analyse data. The major finding in the research was that unemployment affected all the youth across the entire education spectrum. The study therefore recommended changes in the education system, and rigorous programmes on entrepreneurship.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Microeconometric techniques have improved understanding of South Africa’s labour market substantially in the last two decades. This dissertation adds to this evidence by considering three separate labour market questions, with particular attention to data quality and the application of credible methodology. Firstly, wage flexibility is investigated. Whereas selected previous microeconometric evidence suggests that wage setters in South Africa are highly responsive to external local labour market circumstances, it is not corroborated by macroeconomic and other microeconometric studies. This question is interrogated again, with particular attention to methodological issues in wage curve estimation. The latter is a robust negative relationship between individual wages and local unemployment rates, found in most countries, except where bargaining is highly centralized. Adding time variation to the data allows controls for spatial heterogeneity to be introduced, leading to the conclusion that wages are really inflexible in the short-run. Rather, the trade-off between wages and local unemployment that previous work has found represents a long-run spatial equilibrium. This finding is robust to instrumentation for reverse causality and the measurement error that is associated with choosing incorrect labour market demarcations. Secondly, the reliability of retrospective data related to childhood is investigated, with the view of estimating the long-run influence that early life circumstances have on adult outcomes. Two indicators, parental education and subjective rankings of childhood socioeconomic status, are evaluated. The first set of indicators has poor response rates, as many South African children live without their parents. Where respondents do volunteer this information, they answer consistently across waves. Subjective rankings have higher response rates, as they require respondents to provide information about their own past, and not about those of their parents. However, individuals’ assessments are inconsistent over time, despite being asked about the same point in the life cycle. They tend to change their view of the past in line with adjustments to perceptions of their position in the village income distribution and subjective well-being, providing clear evidence of anchoring. Instrumental variables analysis has been used in previous studies to account for measurement error in subjective data. However, if anchoring affects all assessments of the past and potential outcome variables (such as employment), microeconometric techniques will yield biased estimates of the effects of childhood on long-run outcomes. Finally, age-period-cohort models for South African labour force participation are estimated. This chapter is the first contribution to relax the assumption that cohort differences must remain permanent over the life cycle. Monte-Carlo simulation studies show that highly interactive specifications can partially recover the true underlying process. Using a variety of techniques (imposing behavioural restrictions and atheoretical approaches), this study shows that cohort effects in labour force participation can be temporary in South Africa, though more data is required to verify this conclusively. Regardless of technique, a distinct surge in labour force participation is noted for the group born after 1975. Pertinently, the combination of testable assumptions and highly flexible estimation can yield credible age-period-cohort profiles, despite the many disputes noted in the literature. Previous evidence of a surge in participation for the post-1975 cohort can now be shown to be temporary rather than a part of a long-run generational increase. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Mikro-ekonometriese tegnieke het kennis oor die Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmark aansienlik uitgebrei in die afgelope twee dekades. Hierdie proefskrif dra by tot hierdie bewyse deur drie afsonderlike arbeidsmark vraagstukke te beskou, met die klem op datagehalte en toepassing van geloofwaardige metodologie. Eerstens word die kwessie van loonaanpasbaarheid beskou. Waar sekere vorige mikro-ekonometriese bewyse aandui dat loonbepalers in Suid-Afrika sterk op eksterne plaaslike arbeidsmarktoestande reageer, word hierdie bevinding nie deur makro-ekonomiese en ander mikro-ekonometriese studies ondersteun nie. Hierdie vraag word dus opnuut ondersoek, met die klem op metodologiese kwessies wat ‘n invloed op die beraming van die loonkurwe het. Laasgenoemde is die negatiewe verhouding tussen individuele lone en plaaslike werkloosheidskoerse wat in die meeste lande geld, behalwe daar waar loonbedinging sterk gesentraliseer is. Deur tydsvariasie by die data te voeg, is dit moontlik om vir heterogeniteit oor ruimte voorsiening te maak, wat tot die gevolgtrekking lei dat lone inderdaad onbuigsaam oor die korttermyn is. Die afruiling tussen lone en plaaslike werkloosheidskoerse wat vorige navorsing bevind het, verteenwoordig eerder ‘n langtermyn ruimtelike ewewig. Hierdie bevinding is nie sensitief vir instrumentasie nie. Laasgenoemde is nodig om voorsiening te maak vir moontlike sydigheid wat kan ontstaan indien die rigting van kousaliteit omgekeerd is, sowel as metingsfoute wat daarmee gepaard gaan as navorsers die plaaslike arbeidsmark verkeerd definiëer. Tweedens word die betroubaarheid van data wat volwassenes vra om hulle kinderomstandighede te onthou, ondersoek. Die uiteindelike doel is om vas te stel of omstandighede vroeg in die lewe ‘n invloed op die uitkomstes van volwassenes het. Twee veranderlikes, naamlik ouers se opvoedingsvlakke en die subjektiewe terugskouende sosioekonomiese rang in respondente se kinderdae, word geëvalueer. Die eerste stel veranderlikes is onderhewig aan lae reaksiekoerse omdat ‘n aansienlike hoeveelheid Suid-Afrikaanse kinders sonder een of beide ouers grootword. Waar respondente wel hierdie inligting verskaf is individue se antwoorde konsekwent tussen twee golwe van ‘n paneelopname. Die vraag na die subjektiewe rang lewer beter reaksiekoerse omdat dit vereis dat respondente inligting oor hulle eie verlede verskaf, en nie oor dié van hul ouers nie. Nietemin is individue se antwoorde strydig oor tyd, ten spyte daarvan dat hulle inligting oor dieselfde tydstip in die lewenssiklus moet verskaf. Hulle is geneig om hulle opinies oor die verlede in lyn met veranderende persepsies van hul huidige posisie in die dorpsinkomsteverdeling, sowel as hulle eie subjektiewe welstand, aan te pas. Dit verskaf dus ‘n sterk aanduiding dat mense hulle antwoorde oor die verlede in huidige toestande anker. Instrumentele veranderlike analise is in vorige studies aangewend om voorsiening te maak vir metingsfoute in subjektiewe data. Indien inligting oor die verlede, asook moontlik uitkomsteveranderlikes (soos indiensname), geanker word in huidige persepsies, sal mikroekonometriese tegnieke egter steeds sydige beramings van die impak van kinderdae op langtermyn uitkomstes bied. Laastens, word sogenaamde ouderdom-periode-kohort modelle op Suid-Afrikaanse arbeidsmarkdeelname data toegepas. Hierdie hoofstuk is die eerste bydrae wat die aanname dat kohortverskille permanent moet bly oor die lewenssiklus laat vaar. Monte-Carlo simulasies dui aan dat hoogs interaktiewe spesifikasies die onderliggende proses gedeeltelik kan weerspieël. Verskeie tegnieke word aangewend (insluitend dié wat gedragsaannames afdwing asook ateoretiese benaderings) wat wys dat kohorteffekte in arbeidsmarkdeelname tydelik kan wees. Tog word meer data benodig om hierdie stelling sonder twyfel te bevestig. Onafhanklik van die tegniek wat gebruik word, is dit duidelik dat ‘n skerp toename in arbeidsmarkdeelname plaasgevind het vir die groep wat na 1975 gebore is. Verder is dit beduidend dat die kombinasie van toetsbare aannames en hoogs buigsame beramers ‘n geloofwaardige oplossing vir die ouderdoms-periode-kohort probleem verskaf, ten spyte van die vele twispunte wat in die literatuur uitgelig word. Vorige bewyse van ‘n toename in arbeidsmagdeelname vir die post-1975 kohort kan nou as ‘n tydelike tendens bestempel word, eerder as ‘n deel van die langtermyn toename oor generasies.