The decrease in South Africa's unemployment rate from 25,4% in the third quarter to 24,3% in the fourth quarter, as reported by Statistics SA on Tuesday, 10 February 2015, is indeed part of our good story to tell. While the decline in the unemployment rate is good news, we cannot rest in ensuring that we create more jobs, as unemployment still remains exceptionally high and there is unlikely to be significant improvement in the year ahead, unless conditions in the labour market gradually change and become more favourable and the economy accelerates more convincingly.
The ANC therefore calls on the government, private sector, labour and civil society to come together to deal comprehensively with the constraints that are facing our economy, to mobilise resources and to strengthen the state policy programme. All this is geared towards supporting decent work outcomes, including employment creation and broad economic transformation. The ANC believes that in so doing, South Africa will make significant progress in changing our economy to benefit our people and contributing positively to reducing unemployment, poverty and inequality. I thank you. [Applause.]