期刊名称：International Journal of Social Sciences and Humanity Studies
电子版ISSN：1309-8063
出版年度：2020
卷号：12
期号：1
页码：192-206
出版社：Social Sciences Research Society
摘要：A survey of literature indicates unemployment as one of the most important
challenges facing post-apartheid South Africa. The country’s unemployment rate
has been consistently above 20 per cent and this makes finding employment
difficult. There is great variation in female labour force participation across the
world, with females experiencing a higher unemployment rate than males, and
South Africa is not immune from this trend. This research paper is based on the
findings of a household survey conducted in the township of Bophelong, South
Africa. The aim was to identify the factors that influence unemployment among
female household heads (hereafter referred to as female heads). We conveniently
surveyed 300 female heads in order to determine their general employment status,
and the perceived barriers to getting employment and found that 72 per cent of the
sampled population were unemployed. Descriptive statistics and regression were
used to assess the relationship between barriers to entry into the workforce and
other demographic factors. The results showed that most unemployed female
heads within Bophelong perceive that the most prominent barriers are lack of
qualifications, lack of experience, lack of skills and failure to conduct themselves
properly during an interview. Findings of this study established a relationship between the demographic factors and barriers to entry into the workforce with
female employment status. These findings are important for the formulation of
policies to alleviate the seemingly high unemployment rate amongst this segment
of the population. These unemployed female heads of Bophelong believe that an
improvement in their education levels; personal skills and/or general literacy
levels will increase their chances of gaining employment.
