South Africa's unemployment rate was at 33.9% in the Q2 of 2022, down from 34.5% in the Q1 and a record high of 35.3% in the Q4 of 2021. The number of unemployed persons increased by 132 thousand to 7.994 million, employment rose by 648 thousand to 15.562 million and the labour force went up by 780 thousand to 23.556 million. Among sectors, job gains were mainly observed in community and social services (+276 thousand), followed by trade (+169 thousand), finance (+128 thousand) and construction (+104 thousand). However, manufacturing (-73 thousand) and transport (-54 thousand) reported declines, amid disruptions caused by rolling blackouts and severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. The expanded definition of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, was at 44.1%, down from 45.5% in the first quarter. The youth unemployment rate, measuring job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, fell to 61.4% in the second quarter of 2022, the lowest in almost two years. source: Statistics South Africa

Unemployment Rate in South Africa averaged 26.66 percent from 2000 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 35.30 percent in the fourth quarter of 2021 and a record low of 21.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. This page provides - South Africa Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. South Africa Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on September of 2022.

Unemployment Rate in South Africa is expected to be 34.80 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the South Africa Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 36.00 percent in 2023 and 35.00 percent in 2024, according to our econometric models.

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South Africa Unemployment Rate



Calendar GMT Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2022-05-31 09:30 AM Q1 34.5% 35.3% 35.7%
2022-08-23 09:30 AM Q2 33.9% 34.5% 35%
2022-11-30 09:30 AM Q3 33.9%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Unemployment Rate 33.90 34.50 percent Jun 2022
Employed Persons 15561.86 14914.21 Jun 2022
Unemployed Persons 7994.29 7861.79 Thousand Jun 2022
Labor Force Participation Rate 58.60 56.90 percent Jun 2022
Wages 23502.00 23982.00 ZAR/Month Mar 2022
Wages in Manufacturing 20901.00 21234.00 ZAR/Month Mar 2022
Population 60.14 59.30 Million Dec 2021
Youth Unemployment Rate 61.40 63.90 percent Jun 2022
Employment Rate 38.70 37.26 percent Jun 2022

South Africa Unemployment Rate
In South Africa, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
33.90 34.50 35.30 21.50 2000 - 2022 percent Quarterly
SA

News Stream
South Africa Jobless Rate Falls Further in Q2
South Africa's unemployment rate was at 33.9% in the Q2 of 2022, down from 34.5% in the Q1 and a record high of 35.3% in the Q4 of 2021. The number of unemployed persons increased by 132 thousand to 7.994 million, employment rose by 648 thousand to 15.562 million and the labour force went up by 780 thousand to 23.556 million. Among sectors, job gains were mainly observed in community and social services (+276 thousand), followed by trade (+169 thousand), finance (+128 thousand) and construction (+104 thousand). However, manufacturing (-73 thousand) and transport (-54 thousand) reported declines, amid disruptions caused by rolling blackouts and severe flooding in KwaZulu-Natal. The expanded definition of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, was at 44.1%, down from 45.5% in the first quarter. The youth unemployment rate, measuring job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, fell to 61.4% in the second quarter of 2022, the lowest in almost two years.
2022-08-23
South Africa Jobless Rate Falls From Record High
South Africa's unemployment rate eased to 34.5% in the first quarter of 2022, the first decline in seven quarters, down from a record high of 35.3% in the prior period. The number of unemployed persons decreased by 60 thousand to 7.9 million, employment rose by 370 thousand to 14.9 million and the labour force went up by 310 thousand to 22.8 million. Among sectors, job gains were seen mostly in community and social services (+281 thousand), manufacturing (+263 thousand) and trade (+98 thousand). By contrast, positions were cut primarily in private households (-186 thousand), finance (-72 thousand) and construction (-60 thousand). The expanded definition of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, was at 45.5%, down from 46.2% in the fourth quarter. The youth unemployment rate, measuring job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, fell to 63.9% in the first quarter of 2022, the lowest in a year, from a record high of 66.5% in the last quarter.
2022-05-31
South Africa Jobless Rate Hits Fresh Record High in Q4
South Africa's unemployment rate climbed to 35.3% in the fourth quarter of 2021, up from 34.9% in the previous period. It was the highest jobless rate since comparable data began in 2008. The number of unemployed persons increased by 278 thousand to 7.9 million, employment rose by 262 thousand to 14.5 million and the labour force went up by 540 thousand to 22.5 million. Job losses were primarily observed in manufacturing (-85 thousand) and construction (-35 thousand). On the other hand, private households (+129 thousand), trade (+118 thousand) and community and social services (+73 thousand) reported job gains. The expanded definition of unemployment, including people who have stopped looking for work, was at 46.2%, down slightly from 46.6% in the third quarter. The youth unemployment rate, measuring job-seekers between 15 and 24 years old, was unchanged at a record high of 66.5%.
2022-03-29