The MTBPS noted that employment gains have decelerated in the past year as growth in the domestic economy continued to slow. The number of persons employed in the public sector increased by 38 000 whilst that of the private sector increased by 87 000. An additional 1.1 million South Africans have been classified as discouraged since the end of 2008. The Council noted that efforts at accelerating job creation needed to be evaluated in the context of global and domestic economic developments. In terms of the global context, there were real concerns regarding the uncertainties in the United States, the slowdown of growth in China and India; and the stagnation of the European economy. However, there were still opportunities for growth in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.