South Africa’s unemployment rises to 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025

by Kelebogile Matlou

South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 33.2% in the second quarter of 2025, up from 32.9% in the first quarter, according to the latest Statistics South Africa report released this week. This marks the second consecutive quarterly increase, driven by a rise in the number of job seekers and modest employment growth that failed to keep pace with labour force expansion.

The number of unemployed individuals increased by 140 000, bringing the total to 8.4 million, while employment rose slightly by 19 000 to reach 16.8 million. The labour force grew by 159 000, or 0.6%, during this period. Youth unemployment remains a pressing challenge. The number of unemployed people aged 15–34 climbed by 39 000 to 4.9 million. 

Although employed youth numbers grew by 31 000 to 5.7 million, the youth unemployment rate stayed unchanged at a high 46.1%. Under the expanded definition which includes discouraged job seekers the unemployment rate showed a slight quarter-on-quarter improvement, dropping by 0.2 percentage points to 42.9%.

Sector performance was mixed. The formal sector added 34 000 jobs, while the informal sector lost 19 000. The trade sector saw the largest gains with 88 000 new jobs, followed by private households (28 000) and construction (20 000). Losses were recorded in community and social services (-42 000), agriculture (-24 000), finance (-24 000), transport (-15 000), utilities (-6 000), and manufacturing (-5 000).

Employment changes also varied by region. Gauteng and the Eastern Cape recorded the biggest increases, adding 95 000 and 89 000 jobs respectively. In contrast, the Western Cape (-117 000), KwaZulu-Natal (-86 000), and Northern Cape (-28 000) saw significant declines.