KwaZulu-Natal Economic Review
In 2002, KwaZulu-Natal’s Department of Economic Development and Tourism appointed the Human Sciences Research Council to undertake an economic review of the province with a view to establishing a provincial industrial strategy. The review encompassed the following key themes: • Growth in traditional and non-traditional primary, secondary and tertiary sectors • Changes in industrial structure,…
read more >>Employment Scenarios for the Public Service in South Africa
The public service is a significant source of employment in South Africa, accounting for about 13% to 14% of formal employment. Until recently, it played a diminishing role, dampening employment growth in the economy. What should its role be in employment creation, if any? This is a particularly important question in the context of high…
read more >>Youth Labour Market Challenges in South Africa
Altman identifies labour market challenges facing South African youth, in view of the high chance of long-term unemployment among young people. She assesses labour market dynamics, questioning whether the economy is creating low-skill jobs, whether education improves people’s chances in the labour market, and whether graduate unemployment is a problem because young people study inappropriate…
read more >>A Review of labour Markets in South Africa: Wage Trends and Dynamics in South Africa
Wages play an important role in the broader economy from both efficiency and equity perspectives. Wage formation also lies at the heart of a power play between workers and employers. As part of a broader labour market review, Altman considers the state of knowledge on wage determination in South Africa. She assesses whether wage setting…
read more >>Developing a national skills forecasting tool for South Africa
As part of its National Skills Development Strategy, the Department of Labour commissioned a research project on the feasibility of developing forecasting models and tools to identify future skill needs in South Africa. The first phase of the project involved a review of international best practice and of existing data and previous approaches to this…
read more >>Should Subsistence Production be Supported as a Strategy to Address Rural Food Insecurity?
At first glance South Africa’s black farming sector appears to contribute rather minimally to overall agricultural output in South Africa. However, despite the complexity involved in this sector and the often marginal conditions in which agriculture is practiced it appears to be important to a large number of black households. Furthermore, the significance they attach…
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