This paper examines the survival strategies of the unemployed using the balanced panel
sample of the first three waves of the National Income Dynamics Study (
S
outhern Africa
Labour and Development Research Unit
[SALDRU]
, 2013c
). We find that in response to
unemploym
ent
and almost no une
mployment insurance, unemployed individuals look to
parents, relatives and friend
s for economic support. In many
cases the unemployed delay
setting up their own households while o
thers may move back to family
households when
faced with
persistent unemploym
ent.
We use a probit model to
show that
the
unemployed
who move
in
a
successive wave
are more likely to be employed. The effect of moving on
employment status
remains
significant and positive when we take into account household
and individual characteristics. Moving
does allow
the unemployed to get ahead.