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FILE IMAGE | Men hold placards offering temporary employment services while waiting for potential customers.
The latest data released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) shows that the official unemployment rate decreased by 0,5% points from 31,9% in the third quarter of 2025 to 31,4% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
The Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that there was an increase of 44 000 in the number of employed persons to 17,1-million, while the number of unemployed persons decreased by 172 000 to 7,8-million compared to the third quarter.
During the same period, discouraged job-seekers increased by 233 000 to 3,7 million, other available job-seekers decreased by 110 000 to 855 000, and unavailable job-seekers decreased by 41 000 to 42 000, resulting in a total net increase of 82 000 to 4,6 million in the potential labour force population.
Other outside the labour force increased by 165 000 to 12,5 million. Outside the labour force, which is the total of the potential labour force and other outside the labour force, increased by 248 000 to 17,1 million in Q4 of 2025.
#SAunemployment || Youth aged 15-24 years and 25-34 years continue to have the highest unemployment rates at 57,0% and 39,2% respectively.
Read more here: https://t.co/87qT4zWizS#StatsSA #KnowYourStatsZA #SAemployment #GovZAUpdates pic.twitter.com/zksiN8gHox
— Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (@StatsSA) February 17, 2026
