The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is Stats SA's household survey on employment and unemployment. It is the usual source for South African job figures. It counts people employed, but it doesn't split jobs into permanent and temporary roles or by employer benefits in a way that matches municipal programmes. That is largely why councillors ask for breakdowns like the one in this question. The Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) is a different kind of job. It is a poverty alleviation partnership between national government and the City that offers temporary work opportunities to the unemployed. The City has implemented it since 2004 and targets youth aged 18–35, differently abled persons and women. These roles are short-term and usually come without the leave, pension and medical aid that come with permanent posts.
Recent City figures show how large the EPWP is. From 2021/22 to 2025/26 the City recorded 203 128 temporary work opportunities. The annual numbers have fallen recently, from 44 000 in 2023/24 to 35 245 in 2025/26. The City also says the programme can lead to permanent work: more than 3 600 permanent positions have been filled by former EPWP participants. That claim comes from a DA publication.
The distinction matters because headline "jobs created" figures can mix permanent private-sector jobs, formal public-sector posts and short-term public employment. Each has very different security and income. Residents judging job claims may want to know how the figures are defined and where they come from.
