The Employment Equity Commission for South Africa has released its 2016/17 report, showing the current state of the country’s workforce at the highest level.

The EEC’s report is based on 26,255 employment equity reports from companies across the country, compared to 25,030 EE reports it received in 2015.

The bulk of the reports come from the private sector (94.8%) – representing 5.3 million workers – with the balance made up of non-profit organisations, state-owned enterprises, educational institutions and national, provincial and local government.

At top management level, 68.5% of positions are occupied by white South Africans, 14.4% by black South Africans, 8.9% by Indian South Africans, and 4.9% by coloured South Africans. Foreign nationals make up 3.4%.

The representation of the white group at the top management level, at 68.5%, is more than six times their economically active population (EAP), the report said.

White South Africans occupy 72% of the positions in the private sector, while black South Africans occupy 73.2% in the public sector at senior management level.

The report found that 64% of of white South Africans saw their positions terminated, while 52.1% were recruited again.

It said that 55.2% of promotion opportunities went to white South Africans.

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At senior management level, 58.1% of positions are occupied by white South Africans, 22.1% by black South Africans, 10.6% by Indian South Africans, and 7.7% by coloured South Africans.

White South Africans occupy 63.4% of the positions in the private sector, while black South Africans occupy 65.8% in the public sector at senior management level.

59.1% of of white South Africans saw their positions terminated, while 53.8% were recruited again.

The report said that 46.2% of promotion opportunities went to white South Africans, while 56.9% of training opportunities were provided to black South Africans at senior management level.

For top management positions, the Indian group at 8.9% is also over-represented by three times their EAP.

On the contrary, the African group at 14.4% and coloured group at 5.5% are under-represented in relation to their EAP.

African representation is more than five times below their EAP, while the coloured representation is half their EAP, the report said.

The public sector as mainly dominated by the black and coloured South Africans, although they still fall short of their EAP.

This is while the private sector has a high concentration of the white group. The white and Indian groups are seven and three times over-represented in comparison to their EAP, the report said.

White representation remains overwhelming in the private sector, non-profit organisations and educational institutions. This is while black South Africans are in the majority in all spheres of government and state-owned enterprises.

The report showed that white males are likely to be afforded higher levels of recruitment and promotion opportunities as compared to the designated groups.

However, the report also indicated that the rate at which the white groups exit organisations, appear to be higher than the rate at which they are recruited into organisations.

“This trend suggests that with natural attrition the representivity of the white group and more so of white males will be reduced with time, albeit at a very slow pace.

“The preference for the white group over the designated groups in promotions and skills development continues to undermine transformation progress, as both are also key to changing the demographic representivity at this level,” the report said.

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