REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA COMBINED SECOND PERIODIC REPORT UNDER THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON HUMAN AND PEOPLE`S RIGHTS and INITIAL REPORT UNDER THE PROTOCOL TO THE AFRICAN CHARTER ON THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN IN AFRICA is done in partnership with the various sector education and training authorities (SETAs). 247. Year-on-year changes highlight improvements in the labour market. Over the period Q4:2012 and Q4: 2013, employment increased by 653 000 largely as a result of an increase of 507 000 in the formal sector. Employment in the informal sector increased by 95 000 over the same period. Despite the increase in unemployment by 121 000, the unemployment rate declined by 0,4 of a percentage point to 24,1%. The labour force participation rate and the absorption rate increased by 1,2 and 1,1 percentage points respectively. Among the not economically active population, discouraged work-seekers declined by 4,4%, and the remainder of the not economically active group by 0,4%. Yearon-year changes in employment show that after seven successive quarterly declines, the number of jobs increased for twelve consecutive quarters over the period Q1: 2011 to Q4: 2013. The largest employment increase was observed in Q4: 2013, where 653 000 persons gained employment. Year-on-year changes in show that over the period Q4: 2012 and Q4: 2013, employment increased by 653 000. The Community and social services and Trade industries contributed the most to the increase (219 000 and 117 000 jobs respectively). Both the manufacturing and agriculture industries shed jobs over the same period (by 48 000 and 4 000 respectively).155 Measures to increase opportunities for the youth 155 248. It is noted that the youth constitutes a large part of unemployed persons in our society. Government is addressing this issue through a number of initiatives, including the Government subsidy programme for unemployed youth. The Social Accord on Youth Employment commits all stakeholders to a coordinated youth employment strategy that will bring a large number of young people into the job market. Under its auspices, Government has committed to increase the number of young people employed in the public sector through its various ‘youth brigade’ programmes For example, youth in rural areas are already being skilled through the flagship rural programme – the National Rural Youth Service Corps (NARYSEC).There are currently some 13 000 participants in the NARYSEC programme at various stages of their training as development agents. 249. Government has also partnered with the Agricultural Research Council to train 900 youth in raising livestock for smallholdings and dairy production. In addition, youth have been active in building houses in Worcester, a youth hub in Beaufort-West, as well as brick making and paving projects in Limpopo. Government is investing R631 million in rural youth training programmes. A further R3.5 million is being invested to train 990 women and youth in rural arts and craft initiatives. 250. Further Education and Training (FET) colleges are a resource of youth skilled in a number of areas. Through the Small Enterprise Finance Agency (SEFA) and the Industrial Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Quarter 4, 2013 73