An Employment-targeted Economic Programme for South Africa (original) (raw)
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An employment-targeted economic program for South Africa
2007
This is an independent report produced by a team of international and national consultants supported by the International Poverty Centre in Brasilia (IPC). Initial support for this report w as provided by the Poverty G roup of the United Nations Developm ent Program m e in New York. This report is part of a w ider global research program m e encom passing several other countries. The view s in this report are the authors' and not necessarily IPC's. H ow ever, the IPC regards this report as an im portant contribution to the debate on econom ic policies and em ploym ent program m es in South A frica as w ell as in other countries in A frica.
A Hybrid Model to Alleviate Unemployment and Poverty in South Africa
Poverty and unemployment are considered social threats in South Africa as the rate keeps on escalating while few measures are implemented to alleviate the trend. This study devised a hybrid model to reduce the rate of poverty and unemployment in South Africa. The Human Capital Theory formed the theoretical base of this study, which explained the need for the government to invest in education to improve the chances of gaining employment to reduce poverty. The study adopted a quantitative approach and data were collected from only secondary sources. Major findings disclosed that the poverty rate in South Africa is at 49.2% while 64.2% of South African blacks remain poor. The study revealed that the unemployment rate is at 30.1% in the first quarter of 2020 while provinces such as Eastern Cape (40.5%) and the Free State (38.4%) have the highest share of unemployment in the country. The meta-analysis conducted revealed that improvement is needed in areas such as legislation and labour laws, entrepreneurial development, youth development policies, common vision and leadership, sectoral development, business climate, acquisition of skills and education, engagement management, and strategic management. This is in an endeavour to reduce poverty and unemployment rate in South Africa.
Journal of Educational and Social Research, 2014
The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of economic growth and employment in post-apartheid South Africa and to conclude by providing an analysis of macroeconomic policies for that period. A correlational research was conducted to investigate whether the relationship exists in South Africa and also the nature of the relationship. An employment elasticity of growth model was employed to a sample size of 18 (number of years). The findings revealed that employment has, to a lesser extent, been responsive to economic growth for most of the period. Thus, employment elasticity of growth has been inelastic. This implies that a percentage change in economic growth has been accompanied by a change of less than one percentage in employment. The study found that the Accelerated Shared Growth Initiative for South Africa (ASGISA) has outperformed other policies in relation to economic growth and employment targets. It concludes that higher percentage increase in economic growth may lead to an increase in employment. The study has highlighted areas of possible job creation opportunities. On policy perspective, it concludes that the adoption of New Growth Path and National Development Plan while ASGISA is still in process will require a strong coordination and dedication of many state resources.
Poverty, Inequality and Unemployment in South Africa: Context, Issues and the Way Forward
Economic Papers: A journal of applied …, 2011
The purpose of this article is to present a concise policy review of poverty, inequality and unemployment (PIU) in South Africa and to draw lessons for current and future action. South Africa is of particular interest given its history of racial estates which has entrenched high levels of poverty, structural inequality and structural unemployment. As such, this article is organised as follows. An introduction is followed by an outline of the overarching nature of PIU issues. Next, the key policies in the post-apartheid period to tackle PIU problems are highlighted. Finally, the way forward is proposed with respect to: (i) the range of policy weaknesses identified and the fundamental need to reorient policy in an eclectic and innovative manner to address past failures; (ii) ensuring that PIU are tackled head-on; and (iii) supporting and pursuing the use of both the emerging new economics and alternative models of development. These findings have practical implications for planning, policy-making and programming and a six-step procedure for planning and implementation is proposed.
Applied Studies in Agribusiness and Commerce
The need for governments and private employers to adequately provide decent work within the economy for all its inhabitants cannot be over-emphasized. This imperative is even more important since most obtainable work have been characterized by many detrimental dimensions which can be considered as constituting ‘indecent employment’. From the viewpoint of human development, the paper examines how ‘decent employment’ can serve as an antidote to poverty. Thus, decent employment can positively affect both material and non-material social development which include health, education, social security, food security and overall well-being.. The present paper is borne out of the desire to empower the average South African citizen in specifically attaining an improved socio-economic living standard. This paper employs a qualitative, thematic analysis of selected reported cases of perceived ‘indecent’ or non-meaningful employment from both informal and formal sectors’ Additionally, this paper...
A NATION IN SEARCH OF JOBS: Six Possible Policy Suggestions For Employment Creation in South Africa
2012
ABSTRACT I provide six possible employment creating policy options within the arena of principally, but not exclusively, active labour market policy. The notion is that interventions in these areas should provide for short-term and possibly long-term employment creation avenues and options for the currently unemployed. In some cases, interventions are provided that could plausibly also stem the severe loss of jobs the economy experienced since the recession.
An Assessment of Economic Reforms Proposed by South Africa's National Development Plan
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This paper describes some of the economic reforms proposed by the NDP, and assesses them through a somewhat critical lens. To achieve progress in our country, the NDP focusses on employment growth, increasing the income share of the poor and lowering their costs of living, assisting previously economically disadvantaged people, growing the export market, growing investment and regulating monopolistic markets effectively.
PRIME Economics, 2019
South Africa is an economy whose poverty, inequality and waste of human capital (unemployment) are only comparable to a country at war. The heinous cost of macroeconomic incompetence, capture or both must rank, in terms of resource misallocation (destruction of economic value), among the most expensive economic dislocations in the world, comparable to the crimes of apartheid and colonialism projects. The nation's primitive understanding of money and indeed banking leads to the misguided use of tools that are highly anti-developmental but also tools that are drivers of financialisation in the economy with their attendant currency risks, poverty, unemployment and inequality generation.