-
Street vendors wait for customers at an open market,
The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has welcomed South Africa’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey results but remains concerned about the plight of the working poor on the continent.
The working poor are employed people who live in households that fall below an accepted poverty line.
Last week, South Africa’s unemployment rate fell from a two-year high, marking the first decrease since the third quarter of last year but is still stubbornly high.
The ILO hosted a media workshop in Sandton, where experts expressed concern about the high levels of joblessness in South Africa, Lesotho, Botswana and Eswatini.
The working poverty rate reveals the proportion of the employed population living in poverty, despite being employed.
This implies that their employment-related incomes are not sufficient to lift them and their families out of poverty and ensure decent living conditions.
According to the ILO, the global estimate of the working poor is 6.9%.
Africa still has the highest share of the working poor at 29.0%. Madagascar has the highest rate of 78% while South Africa averaged 8.9% in 2023.
The ILO’s employment specialist Jealous Chirove says the organisation is proposing a comprehensive approach to help member countries harmonise their employment policies.
