South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Rises To 33.7% As Discouraged Job Seekers Increase
South Africa’s official unemployment rate edged up to 33.7% in the third quarter of 2026, from 33.6% in the previous quarter, according to Statistics South Africa’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey released today, Tuesday.
The survey showed that employment increased by 101,000 to 16.8 million between July and September. However, the number of unemployed people also rose by 97,000 to 8.6 million, pushing the unemployment rate slightly higher.
Discouraged job seekers increased by 70,000 to 3.7 million, while the broader unemployment rate, which includes people who want work but are not actively looking, rose to 44.0% from 43.8%.
Formal-sector employment recorded the biggest gains, increasing by 268,000 to 12.3 million. However, the informal sector lost 98,000 jobs, while private households shed 68,000.
The largest employment gains were recorded in finance (111,000), manufacturing (33,000) and mining (31,000). Meanwhile, youth unemployment among people aged 15 to 34 eased slightly to 47.3%, although it remains significantly higher than the national average.
The figures highlight the ongoing challenge of creating enough jobs to absorb South Africa’s growing labour force.
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