Wage Subsidy Project

This project for the Department of Social Development evaluated the merits of a wage subsidy programme to promote employment in South Africa. A primary intention was to provide a framework that could be used, firstly, to evaluate the appropriateness of wage subsidy schemes as a mechanism to increase employment in the South African context, and secondly, in the design and practical implementation of a wage subsidy programme in South Africa.

SALDRU working papers

Wage Subsidies to Combat Unemployment and Poverty: Assessing South Africa’s Options
Burns, J., Edwards, L. & Pauw, K. (August 2010)

Journal articles

Revisiting wage subsidies: How pro-poor is a South African wage subsidy likely to be?
Burns, J., Edwards, L. and Pauw, K. (2013). Development Southern Africa, 30(2).

Wage subsidies: Not the silver bullet, but a good start to address unemployment
Burns, J., Pauw, K. and Edwards, L. (2010) in Hofmeyr, J. (ed) 2010, “Transformation Audit – Vision of Vacuum: Governing the South African Economy”, Institute for Justice and Reconciliation, Cape Town, South Africa.