North West records highest unemployment rate

JOHANNESBURG - The North West has overtaken the Eastern Cape in recording the highest unemployment figures in the country.  

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released its quarterly employment stats for the first quarter on Tuesday.

Unemployment increased by one percentage point to 32.9% between January and March, with almost 300,000 jobs lost during this period.  

Statistician General Risenga Maluleke says the North West is the province with the highest unemployment rate.

READ: Concern over South Africa's first quarter jobs bloodbath

"The Eastern Cape used to have a higher unemployment rate, but it's being overtaken by the North West. The North West returned the highest unemployment rate this quarter of 40.4%, followed by the Eastern Cape at 39.3%."

He said unemployment in the North West relates to the mining industry, one of the sectors that contributed negatively to the employment figures.  

"It's largely because of the mining industry. People go there looking for employment, and when they don’t get employed, they get discouraged, and in the sense of being discouraged, what then happens is that they still stay there."