The pattern, causes and consequences of unemployment in the Molopo District of the North West Province

M.A.The global labour force has grown massively in recent decades. In 1995 there were an estimated 25 billion men and women of working age in the world labour force. The worldwide unemployment is about 50% of the global labour force, which is about 12.5 billion. Estimates project a further worldwide labour force increase of 1.2 billion by the year 2025. In 1990 the economically active population of South Africa was 14 426 000 of which 6 473 000 were unemployed. North West is one of the nine provinces of the Republic of South Africa. The district of Molopo is the administrative and political centre of this province. Its capital city is Mmabatho. The population of the North West province is about 3.5 million people. The population in this province is abort 8% of South Africa's total population. The population is mostly rural with only a third of the people living in urban areas. In 1991 Molopo district as a whole had a total population of 185 320 people, of which the potential labour force was 111 192 of which 22 238 were unemployed. These were the people who were without work but who were readily available for employment and looking for it. In Chapter 1 the problem, objectives, hypothesis and methodology were presented. The research question of this study pertains to the pattern, causes and consequences of unemployment in the Molopo district of the North West province. The objectives of the study were to examine massive growth of unemployment in the Molopo district, to establish what the real causes, pattern and consequences of unemployment are in the Molopo district as experienced by the people of the area and to establish the impact of the phenomenon on the individuals, the economy of district and on the development stagnation of the area. The design and method of research was also formulated in this chapter. A case study design was selected for this study. The rationale of choosing this method of research was discussed. Issues such as validity, reliability and generalizability were also addressed. To identify the unemployed people with whom the case studies were conducted, certain procedures were followed. The study was structured in such a way that quantitative and qualitative research x methodologies were combined. The researcher prepared an interview schedule in which the pattern to be followed and wording of questions were detailed. A. sample of 50 unemployed people was chosen from two of the villages of Molopo. These villages are Modimola and Magogwe. The data obtained from interviews and questionnaires were analyzed according to the qualitative research methodological procedure. In Chapter 2 the researcher covered the background to the study area, which includes the history, administration, population, economic activities, the rural-urban characteristics, the extent of poverty and unemployment. It also deals with the people's conditions of life in both Modimola and Magogwe villages and the problems experienced by people in both settlements. In Chapter 3 a literature review was conducted. This chapter deals with the theories of unemployment, as there has been a lot of research on unemployment. The researchers had developed different types of theories about it. There is a lot of controversy among macro-economists. This can be described as the fight between the Keynesians (neo, past) and the neo-classics. The question of measuring unemployment and employment were also looked into in this chapter. In principle it is very simple to measure both employment and unemployment but in practice, however, it is very difficult to do that