About 47 000 more people were employed in the formal non-agricultural sector between the quarters ending December 2010 and March 2011, Statistics SA said on Tuesday.
The March 2011 Quarterly Employment Statistics survey found the number of people employed in this sector increased 0.6% over the quarters from 8 251 000 employees to 8 298 000.
This was an annual increase of about 212 000 people - or 2.6% - compared with March 2010, when an estimated 8 086 000 people were employed in the formal sector.
Between the quarters ending December 2010 and March 2011, gross earnings paid to employees in this sector decreased almost 6%.
"The gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended March 2011 (January 2011 to March 2011) amounted to R318.099-million.
"This reflects a quarterly decrease of R19.800-million (-5.9%) compared with the quarter ended December 2010 (October 2010 to December 2010)," the agency reported.
However, gross earnings increased between the quarters ended March 2010 and March 2011.
"The gross earnings paid to employees during the quarter ended March 2011 (January 2011 to March 2011) amounted to R318.099-million.
"This reflects an annual increase of R26.896-million (+9.2%) compared with the quarter ended March 2010 (January 2010 to March 2010)," Stats SA said.
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