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Bruce Ndlovu, Sunday News Reporter
THE country has recorded a boom in employment since the advent of the Second Republic, with employment going up by 20 percent between 2017 and August of this year, while there has also been a significant reduction in retrenchment.
According to data from the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), jobs were created in agriculture (41 percent) construction (40 percent) and the energy sector (37percent).
Overall, the formal employment figures increased from 1 083 823 in 2017 to 1 296 396 as of August this year. Retrenchments are also on the decline and thus while 4 493 workers were laid off in 2017, 1 668 lost their jobs in 2018 and 1 461 in 2019 according to the Retrenchment Board.
Speaking after a Cabinet meeting yesterday, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Monica Mutsvangwa attributed some of the gains to Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs), which employed a further 235 635 people from 2017.
Government is now in the processes of crafting policies, alongside its international partners, that prioritise women and youth.
“The Government, with support from the International Labour Organisation (ILO), is implementing two major projects since 2017. These two are the Empowerment for Women and Youth Project (E4WAY) in Zimbabwe and the Green Enterprise Innovation and Development Project, which are meant to economically empower women and youths,” Minister Mutsvangwa said.
Sidumisile Mabena