According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa, the national statistical organization, the data confirms the persistence of the structural crisis in the South African labor market, considered the most affected among the G20 countries.

The report states that the number of employed people grew by just 19,000, reaching 16,8 million nationwide, while the total number of unemployed increased by 140,000, reaching 8,4 million.

This reflects that the increase in the labor force by 159,000 people during the quarter failed to absorb labor demand, worsening the problem of mass unemployment.

Meanwhile, the expanded unemployment rate—which includes those who have stopped looking for work due to discouragement—fell slightly by 0,2 points to 42,9%, although it remains one of the highest in the world.

The number of discouraged individuals decreased by 28,000, while the economically inactive population (for reasons unrelated to discouragement) remained unchanged at 16,6 million.

The report highlights serious difficulties in reversing the decline in key sectors: only commerce, private households, and construction showed net employment increases.

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