public works

The Role of Expanded Public Works Programmes in Halving Unemployment

Altman and Hemson explore the potential contribution of the Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) to meeting the objective of halving unemployment by 2014. The first part of the paper assesses the employment and incomes generated by the EPWP. In 2006/07, approximately 300,000 people were engaged in an EPWP opportunity. Although still a small programme, it…

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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…

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Employment Scenarios to 2014 & 2024 in the Context of a Global Meltdown

The 2007 Human Sciences Research Council employment scenarios are updated in this paper, taking into account the possible impact of the global economic crisis on employment and poverty. Altman puts forward three employment scenarios, projecting economic growth rates averaging 2.5% (L-shaped recovery), 3.3% (U-shaped recovery) and 4.5% (V-shaped recovery) between 2004 and 2014. They all…

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