This is how much the average employee gets paid in South Africa

Stats SA has published its quarterly employment statistics, covering the first quarter of 2018, showing how workers are paid across various sectors in the country.

According to Stats SA, employment increased by 56,000 quarter-on-quarter, from 9,782,000 in December 2017 to  9,838,000 in March 2018.

This was largely due to increases in the following industries: community services (67,000 or 2.6%), construction (12,000 or 2.0%), manufacturing (9,000 or 0.8%) and business services (4,000 or 0.2%).

The electricity industry remained unchanged.

However there were decreases in the following industries: trade (-26,000 or -1.2%), mining and quarrying
(-7,000 or -1.5%), and transport (-3,000 or -0.6%).

Year on year, employment increased by 74,000 or 0.8% between March 2017 and March 2018. These increases were reported by: community services (78,000 or 3.0%) , trade (24,000 or 1.1%) and business services (16,000 or 0.7%).

Gross earnings and average monthly earnings

Average monthly earnings paid to employees in the formal non-agricultural sector decreased from R20,060 in November 2017 to R19,858 in February 2018 – though this was up 5% year on year from R18,913 in February 2017.

Gross earnings paid to employees decreased by R25.625 billion (-3,9%) from R658.9 billion in December 2017 to R633.3 billion in March 2018. The decrease was mainly due to decreases in community services; trade; manufacturing; construction; transport; electricity and mining and quarrying industries, Stats SA said.

Year-on-year, gross earnings increased by R7.2 billion (1.1%).

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