45% of people in South Africa aged 15-34 are NEET (not in employment, education or training) according to Statistics South Africa. In 2012, it was 38%.

NEET includes those who did not work in the survey reference week and are not enrolled in education or training. It also covers people who are inactive for other reasons — caring for family, illness, or disability. Anyone who did even an hour of paid work is excluded, as is anyone in education or training, whether they work or not.

In most provinces, there is a gap between the 15-24 and 15-34 brackets. This is because people aged 15-24 are more likely to still be in school or in tertiary education. As they exit education, they enter the NEET bracket because, in most provinces, there are not enough jobs.

The Western Cape shows an anomaly, though. There is almost no gap between the two age brackets. As this is the province with the lowest overall unemployment rate, young people exiting education are more likely to be absorbed into the job market.

Read the full GroundUp article here.