Spatial changes in Gauteng’s formal manufacturing jobs

This map of the month report addresses the long-term trend of declining manufacturing jobs in Gauteng, South Africa, since 2008, as highlighted by the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS). While the QLFS provides valuable insights into employment changes at the municipal level, it lacks the detailed spatial information necessary to understand the precise shifts within municipalities.

To address this gap, the report introduces a new dataset called Spatial Economic Activity Data – South Africa (SEAD-SA) developed by Nell & Visagie in 2023. SEAD-SA provides data at the level of planning regions, which are subdivisions within municipalities. This granular data enables a more detailed analysis of changes in manufacturing employment within Gauteng province. The findings from SEAD-SA reveal that despite an overall net loss in manufacturing jobs, the situation is not uniform across all planning regions. Some regions are actually experiencing industrial growth and increasing manufacturing employment, indicating a more complex and varied economic landscape within the province.

Abstract based directly on original source.