South African Unemployment in the Post-Financial Crisis Era: What are the Determinants?

Mbekeni Lutho () and Andrew Phiri
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Mbekeni Lutho: Nelson Mandela University, Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences, Department of Economics, University Way, Summerstrand, Port Elizabeth, 6019, South Africa

Folia Oeconomica Stetinensia, 2020, vol. 20, issue 2, 230-248

Abstract: Research background: High unemployment rates are one of the greatest economic challenges facing the post-apartheid South African government over the past two decades and this problem has become more worrisome in the post-global financial crisis period.Purpose: Our study examines the determinants of unemployment for the South African economy in the post-crisis period over a quarterly frequency period of 2009:Q1 to 2018:Q4. The determinants are examined for four classes of unemployment rates (total, male, female and youth) and we further partition possible unemployment determinants into fiscal, monetary and macroeconomic variables.Research methodology: We employ the autoregressive distributive lag (ARDL) models.Results: We find income tax, repo rates, economic growth, trade, investment, household debt and savings to be significant determinants of unemployment in the post-crisis South African economy and yet we note discrepancies of the significance of these determinants amongst different unemployment categories.Novelty: No study has examined the determinants of unemployment in South Africa in the post-financial crisis era.

Keywords: unemployment; ARDL; financial crisis; South Africa (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: C13 C32 C52 E24 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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Working Paper: South African unemployment in the post-financial crisis era: What are the determinants? (2019)
Working Paper: South African unemployment in the post-financial crisis era: What are the determinants? (2019)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:foeste:v:20:y:2020:i:2:p:230-248:n:9

DOI: 10.2478/foli-2020-0046

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