Concerns raised about low response rate in data collection process for QLFS

Some economists have again raised concern about low response rates in the data collection process for the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) as the country awaits the release of the latest unemployment figures.

Stats SA will release the 2022 first-quarter data on Tuesday morning.

The unemployment rate reached a record high of 35.3% in the fourth quarter of last year while the expanded definition of joblessness stood at 46.2%.

This definition included discouraged job seekers.

The data will illustrate whether Stats SA has managed to get more people to take part in the survey after recording a low response rate that declined from 76.9% to a low of 44.6% in the fourth quarter of last year.

This saw the delay in the publication of the results for the same quarter.

The publication spoke to two economists, who say they are wary to project what the new unemployment rate could be in the first quarter given the challenges faced by Stats SA in its data collection.

Meanwhile, some reports are quoting economists who expect that the rate will not change much for the period under review while some anticipate a drop in part-time jobs due to seasonal labour shifts, which impact mainly fourth-quarter data only.

-EWN

In other news – AKA seen vibing to Cassper Nyovest’s Ngud verse again – Video

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Kiernan was seen in the club grooving hard to the song as it was being played by the DJ. The video raises lots of curiosity and questions in the minds of viewers, as this is the second time AKA is seen dancing to the same song publicly this year. Learn More