South Africa's unemployment rate rises in first quarter
South Africa's unemployment rate rose to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026 from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, data from the statistics agency showed on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.
Source: Reuters.
- Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed people increased to 8.137 million in January-March, compared with 7.836 million in October-December.
- The official jobless rate has been above 30% for more than five years and is among the highest in the world.
- The coalition government formed in 2024 has struggled to meaningfully boost job creation, despite investor optimism about reforms and a modest pickup in economic growth.
- Job losses were broad-based in the first three months of this year, with only three out of 10 sectors tracked by Stats SA recording job gains.
- The community and social services sector had the biggest number of job losses in the first quarter of 2026.
- Manufacturing, mining and agriculture saw employment increases.
- An expanded definition of unemployment rose to 43.7% in the first quarter from 42.1% previously.
- Young people and Black women remain especially vulnerable to unemployment in South Africa.