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The unemployment rate dropped by 0.7 of a percentage point
to 31.9% in the third quarter of 2023, compared with the previous three months,
Statistics SA data shows.
From the first quarter to the second quarter the unemployment rate moderated slightly, dropping to 32.6% from 32.9%. Tuesday’s figures mark a second consecutive decrease in SA’s jobless rate.
The results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey show the number of employed persons increased by 399 000 to 16.7 million, the highest since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The number of unemployed persons decreased 72 000 to 7.8 million during the same quarter, while the number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement decreased by 160 000 to 13.1 million. Discouraged work-seekers decreased by 26 000. There was a net decrease of 186 000 in the not economically active population.
Decade on decade, Stats SA’s numbers show that unemployment is still high, having risen to 31.9% from 24.5% in the third quarter of 2013, despite the state’s promises of job creation.
Both formal sector employment and informal sector employment rose in the third quarter of this year and finance, community and social services, and agriculture were the industries that showed the largest employment gains. Employment losses were recorded in manufacturing, mining, transport and utilities.
There was a decrease in SA’s high youth unemployment rate, which dropped 1.9 percentage points to 43.4% from 45.3% in the second quarter. However, at least 4.5 million young people are unemployed.
KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, North-West and Mpumalanga recorded the largest employment increases, with only the Free State showing employment losses.
