Labour Market Intelligence research programme

Summary

In this report, we seek to make use of representative, individual-level data from the QLFS provided by StatsSA to provide a comprehensive quantitative overview of the distribution of (1) job loss and (2) recovery by education and skill level during the pandemic in South Africa in 2020 and 2021, (3) an analysis of the extent to which education and skill levels can predict the probabilities of job loss and recovery, as well as (4) an analysis of how the pandemic has affected the relationship between education and labour market outcomes.

The purpose of this research is to provide a detailed, descriptive and empirical analysis into the role of education and skills in explaining differences in the short- and medium-term distributions of job loss and recovery in the South African labour market during the Covid-19 pandemic. To do so, we propose to make use of representative, longitudinal survey data collected during the pandemic, and employ relevant econometric techniques. In this way, the work forms part of the labour market intelligence project which feeds back into policy questions around education and skills constraints, possible future skills demand, and the changing nature of work in the country.

This publication covers

• Key research questions to be answered through the study
• Target group for the report
• Scope of report
• Research implications
• How this report links to other reports or other components of the LMI research programme