unemployment

Policy Options to Leverage the System of Social Grants for Improved Access to Economic Opportunity

The distribution of social grants in South Africa expanded considerably between 2001 and 2007. However, in a context of high unemployment, there is concern that unemployed household members depend on grants that are meant to target children, the aged or disabled. Thus grants are spread thinly, dramatically reducing their contribution to the intended beneficiaries. Moreover,…

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Editorial: Studies towards understanding the homeless in South Africa

Cross and Seager offer insight on homelessness in South Africa. They cover the historical origins of homelessness, the way homelessness in other countries compares with South Africa’s, who the homeless are, where they come from, what makes them leave home, and what role their families and personal histories play, the threats to their well-being and…

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Social floor and a decent standard of living

Kok et al provide a demographic analysis of the Human Sciences Research Council homelessness survey. They offer a sketch the population dynamics of child and adult homelessness. The paper reviews research methodology, looks at the age, gender and employment status of the respondents, and identifies the foreign-born and citizen population elements. The data suggest that…

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Social security for young people amidst high poverty and unemployment: some policy options for South Africa

South African youth experience extremely high levels of unemployment and poverty. Currently there is no social assistance for low-income young adults in South Africa unless they are disabled. Interventions are needed that can achieve widespread poverty alleviation, as well as help facilitate economic participation to improve lifelong earnings. In this article, six examples of social…

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The state of youth: Trends in education attainment

Sheppard provides an overview of the education attainment of the youth in South Africa. He focuses on the 18–24 and 25–35 age cohorts, but also briefly reviews trends in the participation of younger age groups in primary and secondary education, given the impact of their participation rate and education attainment on the youth. The paper…

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Social grants to promote youth employment: some policy options

South African youth experience extremely high levels of unemployment and poverty. Currently there is no social assistance for low-income young adults in South Africa unless they are disabled. Interventions are needed that can achieve widespread poverty alleviation, as well as help facilitate economic participation to improve lifelong earnings. In this article, six examples of social…

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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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The state of youth: Social Dynamics

Potgieter-Gqubule and Ngcobo examine five aspects of the context in which the current generation of young people find themselves: · Material well-being, including access to basic services, poverty and unemployment, education and health
· Socialisation of young people, focusing on the family, schools and places of religion · Youth culture and identity · Participation of young people in society, including…

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The State of youth: Labour market status & policy challenges

South Africa’s demographic profile and its youth bulge provide a unique opportunity for reducing poverty rates over the next decade, and fundamentally changing the structure of the labour force. Doing this, however, requires deliberate policies and interventions to address the needs of young people in the post-apartheid labour markets. Altman and Potgieter-Gqubule examine reasons for…

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