The results of the quarterly labour force survey are released today and everyone is worried that the unemployment rate is going to look even worse. In the first quarter, according to the narrow definition, it stood at 32.9%. I can talk again about slow economic growth due to load shedding etc., but only part of South Africa's unemployment problem is cyclical. The bigger issue is the causes and solutions to the structural component of unemployment. A recent research article looks precisely at the underutilization of labour in South Africa.

This episode is supported by the NWU Business School.

Errors and omissions are my own.