Deputy Speaker, in 12 months - up to the end of June this year - 64 000 new jobs were created. In the nine-month period since the release of the New Growth Path document, namely from the end of the third quarter of last year, 150 000 new jobs were created. After seven consecutive quarters of year-on-year job losses, we have now had two quarters of consecutive year-on-year job growth. If we break this down in more detail, using 1 October 2010 as the starting point, we see that the size of the total labour force - that is the employed and unemployed - grew significantly, particularly in the first two quarters of this year. We had about 200 000 people entering the labour market in each of the first two quarters of this year.
Secondly, the formal sector employment grew by about 155 000 persons, while the informal sector grew by 41 000 persons over that period. But agriculture declined quite sharply by 42 000 jobs.
The pace of job growth has slowed down in the most recent quarter. Since the release of the New Growth Path, government has taken a number of steps to ensure that we address the challenge of jobs. In the time available, I can only give a few examples on agriculture and in agro-processing. For example, a number of large agro-processing projects have been announced - a seed crushing plant in Mpumalanga. This will create up to 4 000 job opportunities in agriculture. A chicken farming project in the Free State has also been announced, and it has an employment of about 800 persons.
In speeding up the Comprehensive Rural Development Programme with 65 sites and 7 500 young persons who were taken up in this programme, the Industrial Development Corporation, IDC, has set aside R7,7 billion for investment in the agricultural value chain. Similarly, we can give examples in mining and beneficiation and manufacturing in the green economy. I will be very happy to pass this information to the hon member. Thank you.