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Job seekers wait beside a road for casual work offered by passing motorists in Eikenhof, south of Johannesburg on February 26, 2025.
The latest data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that the official unemployment rate increased by 1.3% from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of last year to 32.7% points in the first quarter of 2026.
The first quarterly labour force survey of the year shows that the number of employed persons decreased by 347 000 to 16.8 million, while the number of unemployed persons increased by 301 000 to 8.1 million.
Decreases in employment were recorded in the transport, social service and construction sectors.
In the same period, discouraged job-seekers increased by 178 000 to 3.9 million, while other available job-seekers increased by 55 000 to 910 000, and unavailable job-seekers increased by 6 000 to 49 000.
#SAunemployment || The official unemployment rate increased by 1,3 percentage points to 32,7% in Q1:2026 compared to Q4:2025.
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#StatsSA #KnowYourStatsZA #GovZAUpdates pic.twitter.com/MKS3cSGuyn— Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (@StatsSA) May 12, 2026
