bongani-mashiane/sa-youth-unemployment-analysis

South African youth unemployment analysis using StatsSA data — policy briefing and data visualisation # SA Youth Unemployment Analysis ### A Data & Policy Briefing — Gauteng Context --- ## Project Overview An analysis of South African youth unemployment trends from 2015–2024 using StatsSA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data. The project produces a data-driven policy briefing examining the structural gap between youth and general unemployment, the impact of COVID-19, and recommendations for targeted intervention. ## Business Questions Answered - How has youth unemployment (ages 15–34) trended over the past decade? - How does youth unemployment compare to general unemployment? - What was the measurable impact of COVID-19 on youth employment? - Has the post-COVID recovery been sufficient? - What policy interventions could reduce the gap? ## Key Findings - Youth unemployment peaked at **46.6% in 2021** — nearly half of young South Africans could not find work - COVID-19 caused a **7.9 percentage point spike in a single year** (2019: 38.4% → 2020: 46.3%) - The gap between youth and general unemployment has **never fallen below 9.3 percentage points** in the decade studied - By 2024 youth unemployment remains at **45.5%** — no meaningful long-term recovery from pre-pandemic levels - General unemployment also worsened — rising from 25.5% (2015) to 33.5% (2024) ## Files | File | Description | |------|-------------| | `SA_Youth_Unemployment_Analysis.xlsx` | Data tables and charts | | `SA_Youth_Unemployment_Policy_Brief.pdf` | Formatted policy briefing | | `SA_Youth_Unemployment_Policy_Brief.docx` | Word version of briefing | ## Tools Used - Google Sheets & Microsoft Excel - StatsSA QLFS data (2015–2024) - Microsoft Word for policy document ## Data Source StatsSA Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) — official South African labour market statistics published quarterly by Statistics South Africa. --- *Prepared by Bongani Mashiane — BCom Business Informatics (UNISA)* *Portfolio: github.com