Die ekonomie minuut

Today's Minute concludes the week with a brief overview of the other economic indicators. The fuel price increase made the news, ABSA's Purchasing Managers' Index for November was released and also the Bureau of Economic Research's retail confidence index.

Ek het gister gesê dat Suid-Afrika se werkloosheidskoers is skrikwekkend en onvolhoubaar, en dat dit waarskynlik nog verder gaan versleg, maar is daar enigsins ʼn oplossing? Die korttermyn benadering is om vas te byt en te kyk waarheen die sakesiklus ons vat. Die ander benadering is ingrypende hervorming.

I said yesterday that South Africa's unemployment rate is frightening and unsustainable and that it is likely to deteriorate further, but is there any solution at all? The short-term approach is to try to muddle through and see where the business cycle takes us. The other approach is radical reform.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika het gister aangekondig dat die werkloosheidskoers in die derde kwartaal verder toegeneem het en nou op 34,9% staan. Volgens die breë definisie, wat ook ontmoedigde werksoekers insluit, is die werkloosheidskoers 46,6%. Dit is skrikwekkend en onvolhoubaar, en ongelukkig gaan dit waarskynlik nog verder versleg. Daar is ʼn paar redes daarvoor.

Statistics South Africa announced yesterday that the unemployment rate increased further in the third quarter and now stands at 34.9%. According to the broad definition, which also includes discouraged job seekers, the unemployment rate is 46.6%. It's scary and unsustainable, and unfortunately, it's probably going to get worse. There are a few reasons for this.

Statistieke Suid-Afrika maak vandag die resultate van die arbeidsmagopname van die derde kwartaal bekend. Dit klink dalk soos ou nuus in die aangesig van die Omnicron variant, maar dit is belangrike syfers vir ʼn paar redes.

Statistics South Africa today announces the results of the third quarter labour force survey. This may sound like old news in the face of the Omnicron variant, but these are important figures for a few reasons.

Die laaste paar dae se nuus is oorheers deur die Omicron-variant van die coronavirus en grense wat sluit. Gisteraand het President Rhamaphosa die land op vlak-1 inperking gehou en hom sterk uitgespreek teen die reisverbod wat baie lande ingestel het. Maar wat kan die impak van die nuwe variant op die ekonomie wees?

Over the last few days, the news has been dominated by the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and the sound of borders closing. Last night, President Rhamaphosa kept the country on lockdown level-1 and spoke out strongly against the travel ban imposed by many countries. But what could be the impact of the new variant on the economy?

Ekonome sê graag dat insentiewe saak maak en die afgelope week was daar twee voorbeelde van wortels en stokke in die nuus wat die regering hoop om Suid-Afrikaners aan te spoor om die regte dinge te doen. Die wortel was dat die R100 kruideniersware aankoopbewys wat mense bo 60 kan kry as hulle gaan vir ʼn Covid-19 inenting, uitgebrei word na mense bo 50. Die stok is dat NSFAS in konsultasie is om ʼn 75% vorderingsvereiste te stel vir finansiële hulp aan studente.