Assessing the Role of Public Employment Services in Addressing Unemployment: A South African Perspective

South Africa is confronted with the proliferation of a high unemployment rate, particularly for young people. The continuous growth of the unemployment rate in the country attests that the government lacks initiatives to promote employment creation and protect employment for vulnerable workers. In South Africa, the creation and protection of employment are part of the public service provided by the Department of Employment and Labour (DEL). Measures to address employment creation, alleviation of unemployment, and protection of vulnerable workers are legitimated in the Employment Service Act (Act No. 4 of 2014), which is administered by DEL. Although the Act is clear about such measures, South Africa is continuously reporting a growing unemployment rate. The purpose of this study is to investigate the issues underlying the implementation of programmes aimed at generating employment and protecting workers from retrenchment by the Public Employment Services (PES). The study employed qualitative research methods and interviews were used to collect data. The main research question for this study is "What are the challenges faced by PES in rendering effective employment services in South Africa". The study found that the mandate of PES is not implemented appropriately. As a result, the study suggested that PES should be restructured and established as a separate entity from DEL but still report to DEL. This was suggested as the establishment of an entity called the Labour Activation Fund (LAF), which will fully focus on addressing employment issues in South Africa.