Unemployment increased in all provinces except KZN

FILE IMAGE | Men hold placards offering temporary employment services while waiting for potential customers.

Data released by Statistics South Africa points to a reduction in both formal and informal sector employment, which dropped by 189 000 and 127 000 respectively.

The quarterly labour force survey revealed that the official unemployment rate rose by 1.3% from 31.4% in the last quarter of 2025 to 32.7% in the first quarter of this year.

Unemployment increased in all the country’s provinces except KwaZulu-Natal, while the highest unemployment numbers were recorded in the North West and Eastern Cape.

“The number of persons employed in the formal sector decreased by 189 000, and informal sector employment also decreased by 127 000. Decreases in employment were recorded in community and social service (206 000), construction (110 000) and transport (30 000),” says Deputy Director of Labour Statistics at Stats SA, Kwena Marevhula.

#SAunemployment || NW, GP and MP recorded the largest decreases in employment in Q1:2026, while KZN was the only province to record an increase in employment.

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#StatsSA #KnowYourStatsZA #GovZAUpdates #SAemployment pic.twitter.com/oh7gIMActo

— Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (@StatsSA) May 12, 2026