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South Africans Failing to Find Jobs Reach 14-Year High: Chart

South Africans Failing to Find Jobs Reach 14-Year High: Chart

South Africans Failing to Find Jobs Reach 14-Year High: Chart

(Bloomberg) -- The number of South Africans who are willing to work but can’t find suitable jobs -- known as discouraged work seekers -- climbed to 2.5 million in the fourth quarter, the highest in at least 14 years, statistics agency data showed Tuesday. The economically inactive population -- or people without work regardless of the reason -- also reached a record 15.5 million in the period. The continent’s most-industrialized economy has battled to expand its workforce where more than one in four has been unemployed in the past two years as it struggles to mount a strong recovery from its second recession in almost a decade.

--With assistance from Eric Coleman

To contact the reporters on this story: Simbarashe Gumbo in Johannesburg at sgumbo3@bloomberg.net, Sheldon Reback in London at sreback@bloomberg.net.

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Mark Evans at mevans8@bloomberg.net, Ana Monteiro

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