South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, up from 31.9% in the final quarter of 2024, signalling a difficult start to the year for the job market.
According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, employment dropped by 291,000 people, bringing the total number of employed individuals to 16.8 million. At the same time, the number of unemployed South Africans increased by 237,000, pushing the total to 8.2 million.
Young people continue to bear the brunt of the crisis. Of the 3.5 million discouraged work-seekers who have stopped actively looking for employment, around 2 million are aged between 15 and 34.
For those who are employed, most are working in the Trade, Community and Social Services, or Finance sectors — typically in entry-level roles such as sales, clerical, or service positions.
During Q1 of 2025, formal sector employment declined by 245,000 jobs, while the informal sector saw a small gain of 17,000. Industries that recorded job growth included Transport (+67,000), Finance (+60,000), and Utilities (+35,000).
However, significant losses were seen in Trade (-194,000), Construction (-119,000), Private Households (-68,000), Community and Social Services (-45,000), and Mining (-35,000).
