Govt and business leaders aim to create 500,000 jobs
The target was set on Tuesday night at the launch of phase two of the Government-Business Partnership.
FILE: Unemployed builders, tilers and plumbers hold signs seeking jobs on the side of the road in Johannesburg. Picture: AFP
JOHANNESBURG - Government and business leaders have set themselves an ambitious target to create almost half a million jobs amid the country’s high unemployment crisis.
The target was set on Tuesday night at the launch of phase two of the Government-Business Partnership.
The initiative was launched over a year ago to address economic constraints, including challenges in the energy and logistics sectors.
In the second phase of the partnership between government and big business, economic growth, job creation and improving investor sentiment are centre stage.
Chairperson of organisation Business for South Africa, Martin Kingston, said that a boost in business conditions could see 3% of economic growth by 2025, resulting in a substantial number of new jobs in the labour market.
"And these targets we are talking about, we hold ourselves to as a partnership and all of this requires the mobilisation of resources."
The country’s unemployment rate recently jumped to 33.5% in the second quarter from 32.9% in the previous quarter.
Young people remain the hardest hit.
President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the partnership would build on existing initiatives to address youth unemployment.