South Africa’s Unemployment Climbs to 33.2% — Over 140,000 Jobs Lost in Just Three Months

BillyLouisjay August 12, 2025


Latest Stats SA report reveals worrying labour market trends despite small gains in employment

South Africa’s job market is once again under pressure. The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows the country’s official unemployment rate climbed to 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025, up from 32.9% in the first quarter.

The shift might seem marginal—just 0.3 percentage points—but behind the statistics lies a far grimmer reality: 140,000 people lost their jobs in just three months.

Jobs Created vs Jobs Lost

According to the QLFS, the number of employed persons increased slightly by 19,000 to a total of 16.8 million. But this small gain was dwarfed by the surge in job losses, pushing the number of unemployed South Africans up to 8.4 million.

In contrast, discouraged work-seekers—those who have given up looking for work—dropped by 28,000 (a 0.8% decline). However, the number of people considered not economically active for other reasons remained unchanged from the previous quarter.

The Expanded Picture: Underemployment Still Massive

While the official unemployment rate grabs headlines, the expanded unemployment rate—which includes discouraged job-seekers—remains far higher at 42.9%. This measure saw a modest decline of 0.2 percentage points from Q1, but still reflects a deep structural crisis in the labour market.

Economic Context

South Africa’s unemployment rate is among the highest in the world, and economists say the second-quarter rise reflects a combination of factors:

  • Weak GDP growth and ongoing load shedding disrupting productivity

  • Global economic slowdown, dampening export demand

  • Persistent skills mismatch between available jobs and job-seekers’ qualifications

  • High youth unemployment, with young people under 35 bearing the brunt of joblessness

What This Means for Households

For millions of South Africans, a higher unemployment rate isn’t just a statistic—it means less income, more financial strain, and deeper reliance on government social grants. The country’s Gini coefficient, already among the highest globally, suggests the gap between the rich and poor will continue to widen without significant policy intervention.

Looking Ahead

Government initiatives such as the Presidential Employment Stimulus and increased infrastructure investment aim to boost job creation, but analysts warn that without structural reforms—particularly in energy, education, and the ease of doing business—job growth will remain sluggish.

The next QLFS report, due later this year, will reveal whether South Africa’s labour market can rebound or if the upward unemployment trend will continue.

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See Also : Why South Africans Are Flocking to Soup Kitchens—Even with SASSA Grants in Their Wallets

Sources


BillyLouisjay

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