SA unemployment rate eases to 27.1 percent in fourth quarter of 2018

South Africa's unemployment rate dipped slightly to 27.1 percent of the labour force in the fourth quarter of 2018 from 27.5 percent during the previous three months, the national statistics department said on Tuesday. The unemployment rate however remains generally high, reflecting how sluggish economic growth  -- the National Treasury has forecast GDP expansion of 1.7 percent in 2019 from an estimated 0.7 percent last year -- is hampering efforts to create jobs.