MORE than 170 000 new jobs have been created in various sectors of the economy since 2017, with Zimbabwe’s employment figures continuing on an upward trend since the coming in of the New Dispensation nearly four years ago.
Data obtained from the National Social Security Authority
(Nssa), collated through P3 forms submitted by new employees, shows that over 7
000 jobs have already been created in the first four months of this year.
Job creation figures peaked at 57 265 in 2018 before
slowing to 46 208 the following year. Official statistics show that just under
40 000 people were employed last year, when the economy took a battering from
the Covid-19 pandemic. The Employers’ Confederation of Zimbabwe (Emcoz)
described the latest figures as “a positive signal in any economy.”
The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZimStat) describes
an employee as anyone who works for a public or private employer for more than
30 hours per week, while an employer is any individual or entity that employs a
worker for more than 30 hours a week.
Responding to questions from our Harare Bureau, Nssa deputy
director (marketing and communication), Mr Tendai Mutseyekwa, said the
agriculture sector accounted for the bulk of the new jobs at 28 997 since 2017,
while 27 546 new jobs were created in the manufacturing sector. He said over
the same period, the mining sector took up 12 777 new employees, while the
commercial and transport sectors accounted for 53 984 and 5 792 new workers
respectively. In addition, the public administration and health sectors took up
19 684 new employees, while 5787 people were employed in the education and
professional sport sectors. The post and telecommunications sector had 1 547
new workers and the civil engineering, construction and motor vehicle repair
sectors took up 13 309 new employees.
“A cumulative total of 172 068 new employments have been
registered from the year 2017 to date. While the commercial sector accounts for
31 percent of the new jobs, farming alone comes second with 17 percent,
indicating the role of agriculture in the economy. The commercial sector
constitutes many small sub-players, making agriculture the highest contributor
to the new job creation over the period.”
Emcoz president Mr Israel Murefu said the new job numbers
point towards an economic rebound.
“Generally, employment growth, especially in the private
sector, is associated with economic recovery and businesses experiencing higher
capacity utilisation, new investment coming, whether foreign or local, as well
as increasing aggregate demand in the economy.
An increase in employment numbers is a positive signal in
any economy, Zimbabwe included. What we have seen in 2020 and part of 2021 is
falling employment numbers as a result of the impact of Covid-19 and our
projection is that it may take up to two or three years for employment to
recover to pre-Covid-19 levels before we can expect further growth especially
in the formal sector.” Sunday News
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