The State of Employment
Altman considers the meaning of job creating versus jobless growth, and assesses the character of employment creation in South Africa. She reviews the extent of job creation in the economy and compares this with the pace of labour force and economic growth. She then assesses the quality of these jobs and their contribution to household…
read more >>The Economy-Wide Effects of Price Reducing Reforms In Infrastructure Services In South Africa
Prices of infrastructure services in South Africa may be higher than in other countries because of imperfect competition, non-tariff barriers to trade, or inefficiencies in production. A static computerised general equilibrium (CGE) model is used to analyse the economy-wide effects of reducing telecommunications and transport prices by reforming each of these three factors. This modelling…
read more >>The Economic Influence of Infrastructural Expenditure: A Multiplier Decomposition and Structural Path Analysis
Garcia et al. explore the use of structural path analysis in assessing the potential economic impact of the South African government’s planned infrastructural programme of R787 billion. The construction sector is large enough to accommodate a substantial stimulus and has significant linkages with other production activities and households at all income levels. Structural path analysis…
read more >>The Contribution of Manufacturing and Services to Employment Creation and Growth in South Africa
Tregenna examines the linkages between the manufacturing and services sectors. It also looks at linkages between these two sectors and the rest of the domestic economy. Tregenna does this by analysing input-output tables and employment trends. This reveals that manufacturing is particularly important as a source of demand for the services sector as well as…
read more >>Dynamic and Follower Sectors
Altman and Ngandu consider the role of different kinds of sectors’ contribution to growth and employment. Historically, goods production and exports have been a central focus of employment strategies. However, a growing majority of employment created globally is found in services, which are often considered to be non-traded sectors. This raises concerns for policy that…
read more >>Issues of Growth and Employment Concerning the Manufacturing and Services Sectors in South Africa
There has been much talk in recent years, both in South Africa and internationally, of the rise of the services sector. Manufacturing is regarded by some as no longer being able to generate economic growth and employment on the scale required in a country such as South Africa. Others have concern that there is a…
read more >>