PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO EMPLOYMENT: A CASE OF FEMALE HOUSEHOLD HEADS IN A SOUTH AFRICAN TOWNSHIP

Abstract

A survey of literature indicates unemployment as one of the most important challenges facing post-apartheid South Africa. The country’s unemployment rate has been consistently above 20 per cent and this makes finding employment difficult. There is great variation in female labour force participation across the world, with females experiencing a higher unemployment rate than males, and South Africa is not immune from this trend. This research paper is based on the findings of a household survey conducted in the township of Bophelong, South Africa. The aim was to identify the factors that influence unemployment among female household heads (hereafter referred to as female heads). We conveniently surveyed 300 female heads in order to determine their general employment status, and the perceived barriers to getting employment and found that 72 per cent of the sampled population were unemployed. Descriptive statistics and regression were used to assess the relationship between barriers to entry into the workforce and other demographic factors. The results showed that most unemployed female heads within Bophelong perceive that the most prominent barriers are lack of qualifications, lack of experience, lack of skills and failure to conduct themselves properly during an interview. Findings of this study established a relationship between the demographic factors and barriers to entry into the workforce with female employment status. These findings are important for the formulation of policies to alleviate the seemingly high unemployment rate amongst this segment of the population. These unemployed female heads of Bophelong believe that an improvement in their education levels; personal skills and/or general literacy levels will increase their chances of gaining employment.

Keywords

• Barriers,education,employment,female,township

References

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