It’s a truism that education is the path to a good job. Parents save for years so their children can get a degree or qualification, giving them the best possible start. But when employment numbers are broken down by education level, the stark reality hits home.

According to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey, people with tertiary education are most likely to be employed (71%), with only 15% unemployed and 14% classified as ‘not economically active’, meaning these are people who are unemployed and have not taken steps to look for work or to start a business in the four weeks before the survey was conducted.

For those without any schooling, the picture is reversed. Only 22% have jobs, while 71% are not economically active. Even finishing high school makes a significant difference: 44% of matriculants are employed. The data shows that education, especially beyond high school, greatly improves a person’s chances of finding work.