While transformation of the South African labour market remains a top challenge, low productivity and sluggish economic growth, especially in labour-intensive industries, make it difficult to fight unemployment and restructure apartheid employment patterns. As such, when compared with other emerging markets, South Africa's unemployment rates are much higher. In South Africa, too few people work. Only 41% of adults between the ages of 18 and 60 years do work of any kind, whether full time, part time or informal. Compared with developing countries like Brazil and Malaysia, the rate of participation in the economy by working-age adults is around 66%. In developed economies, such as the US and UK, it is 70%. Therefore, given the broader picture within which the South African economy operates, it is important to assess labour market institutions within this context. As such, the Department's mandate of "employment creation and enterprise development; standards and rights at work including equality of opportunities; social protection; and social dialogue" should be weighed up within this context as well.