South Africa’s unemployment rate has increased to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, according to new data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
The unemployment rate rose by 0.9 percentage points, from 32.7% in the first quarter, highlighting continued pressure on the country’s labour market.
The number of unemployed people increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million, while the number of employed people declined by 16,000 to 16.7 million.
Meanwhile, discouraged job-seekers decreased by 227,000 to 3.7 million. Other available job-seekers fell by 49,000 to 861,000, resulting in a 280,000 decline in the potential labour force to 4.6 million.
Those outside the labour force for other reasons increased by 72,000 to 12.5 million, while the total number of people outside the labour force declined by 208,000 to 17.1 million.
The latest figures underscore the ongoing challenges facing South Africa’s employment market, with millions of people still struggling to find work.