Unemployment rises to 32.9% in first quarter of 2025


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South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased by one percentage point to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025. This is according to data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

The data shows an increase of 237 000 in the number of unemployed people, bringing the total to 8.2 million.

The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged work-seekers, also rose by 1.2 percentage points to 43.1% in the same period.

At provincial level, the North West recorded the highest expanded unemployment rate at 56%.