cities

Similarly, the average city unemployment 12 rate (using the narrow or official definition) fell from a high of
26.8% in 2003 to 20% in 2008, reaching 23.3% in 2013. In 2013, unemployment was highest in
Ekurhuleni (27.8%), Nelson Mandela Bay (26.8%), Johannesburg (25.4%) and Cape Town (25%).
eThekwini’s lower rate of unemployment (16.1%) is mainly because of its low labour force participation.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey publishes both the narrow or official rate of unemployment and
the expanded rate of unemployment for metropolitan municipalities. Table 3.1 shows these rates for
Quarter 2 in 2015.
Table 3.1: Narrow and expanded unemployment rate (Q2 2015)
Unemployment (Q2 2015) Narrow Expanded
%
Mangaung 29.0 36.7
Tshwane 27.4 35.9
Ekhuruleni 29.4 34.4
Johannesburg 26.2 28.7
Nelson Mandela Bay 33.2 33.2
Buffalo City 28.8 33.2
eThekwini 16.5 26.3
Cape Town 22.6 23.9
South Africa 25.0 34.9
Source: Stats SA (2015)
Among the large cities, the Gauteng cities had the highest rates of expanded unemployment, with
Tshwane (35.9%) and Ekurhuleni (34.4%) experiencing similar rates to the national average (34.9%).
Of interest is eThekwini’s expanded rate of unemployment (26.3%), which is much higher than its
narrow rate of unemployment (16.5%). This most likely reflects the sizable numbers of discouraged
work-seekers in the city.
12 Statistics South Africa draws on two definitions of unemployment. The narrow or official definition of unemployment refers to those within the
economically active population (i.e. aged 15 to 65 years) who (i) did not work in the seven days before the interview, (ii) want to work and are
available to start within two weeks of the interview, and (iii) have taken active steps to find work or to start a form of self-employment in the four
weeks before the interview. This definition of employment was formulated by the International Labour Organisation and is generally used in
international comparisons of unemployment in more developed economies. In contrast, the expanded definition of unemployment excludes the
last requirement – i.e. those who have taken active steps to find work or to start a form of self-employment in the four weeks before the
interview. This was because either no jobs were available in the area, or they were unable to find jobs requiring their skills, or they had lost hope
of finding any kind of job (Mohr, 1998; Stats SA, 2015).
100 State of South African Cities Report 2016