The latest figures revealed by StatsSA’s Quarter Labour Force Survey, has revealed that the country’s unemployment rate went up to 32.9% with the number of those discouraged to seek employment surging to 43.1% in the first quarter of 2025.
The data was released by Statistician General Risenga Maluleke in Pretoria on Tuesday.
“There was a decrease of 291 000 in the number of employed persons to 16.8 million from 17.1 million in Q4: 2024, while there was an increase of 237 000 in the number of unemployed persons to 8.2 million.
This resulted in a decrease of 54 000 [down by 0,2%] in the labour force during the same period.
Discouraged work-seekers increased by 7000 [up by 0.2%], and the number of persons who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 177 000 [up by 1.4%] between the fourth quarter of 2024 and the first quarter of 2025.
This led to an increase of 184 000 in the number of the not economically active population, to 16.7 million,” said Maluleke.
The North West Province registered the highest number of jobless people by 40.4% followed by the Eastern Cape with 39.3%.
The data further revealed that black women and young people remained especially vulnerable to joblessness in the said quarter.
Furthermore, Maluleke highlighted that jobs in the formal sector fell by 245 000, and losses were also recorded in trade (194 000), construction (119 000), private households (68 000) and community and social services.
Maluleke added that employment however increased by 17 000 in the informal sector. Jobs were also increased in transport (67 000), finance (60 000) and utilities (35 000).
