According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2021, there are 9.1 million young people aged 15-34 who are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Stats SA also reports that there are 3,3 million discouraged job-seekers, who have given up looking for work. What is often dismissed is the actual cost that young people have to pay to look for work. Research from 2019 reported that young people spend around R900 a month looking for work, mainly for data, transport and printing.
I have limited to no resources to help actualize my dreams, be it capital to start a business or simply money to secure employment.
A young South African
In our research on Transitions, we report that the majority of young South Africans live in income-poor households; pre-COVID, this meant that each household member lived on less than R1200 per month and social grants make up the total income in many of these households. This income is used for basic necessities, and young people simply can’t afford to look for work. It seems inevitable that 23% of young people report that they stopped looking for work because it was too expensive.
How much does it cost to look for work in 2021?
There is no updated information on the cost of looking for work in 2021; Youth Capital has joined hands with Open Dialogue to find out how much young people have been spending to find opportunities. Please help us understand what solutions we urgently need to ensure that young people are supported in finding employment!