South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased from 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026 to 33.6% in the second quarter, according to the latest Quarterly L...
South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased from 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026 to 33.6% in the second quarter, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
The increase represents a 0.9 percentage-point rise in the official unemployment rate between the two quarters. Stats SA said the number of unemployed people increased by 345,000 to 8.5 million during the second quarter.
At the same time, the number of employed people fell by 16,000 to 16.7 million compared with the first quarter. The increase in unemployment and decrease in employment resulted in the labour force growing by 329,000, or 1.3%, during the quarter.
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The latest figures show a deterioration in the country’s labour market after the unemployment rate had already risen to 32.7% in the first quarter. The Q1 figure was itself an increase from 31.4% in the final quarter of 2025.
The rise in the official unemployment rate came despite a decline in the number of discouraged job seekers. Stats SA reported that discouraged job seekers fell by 227,000 to 3.7 million during the second quarter.
The number of other available job seekers also declined by 49,000 to 861,000, while unavailable job seekers fell by 4,000 to 44,000. Overall, the potential labour force decreased by 280,000 to 4.6 million.
Stats SA also reported changes across different parts of the labour market. Employment in the formal sector declined by 41,000, while employment in the household sector fell by 9,000. Employment in the informal sector, however, increased by 34,000 during the quarter.
Some industries recorded increases in employment. Trade recorded the largest increase, with 70,000 additional jobs, followed by construction with 39,000 and finance with 11,000.
Other industries recorded employment losses. Community and social services had the largest decline, with 57,000 fewer jobs, followed by mining with a loss of 26,000 jobs. Agriculture and manufacturing each recorded employment declines of 15,000.
The employment picture also differed between provinces. Mpumalanga recorded the largest increase in employment at 41,000, followed by the Eastern Cape with 13,000 and the Free State with 9,000.
Employment fell in several other provinces. Western Cape recorded the largest decline at 48,000, followed by Gauteng with 22,000 and North West with 15,000 fewer jobs.
Youth unemployment remained a major part of the country’s labour market figures. Stats SA said the number of unemployed young people aged between 15 and 34 increased by 264,000 to 5 million in the second quarter.
The number of employed young people also declined, falling by 40,000 to 5.6 million. As a result, the youth unemployment rate increased by 1.5 percentage points to 47.4% during the second quarter.
The latest figures also show that unemployment is not the only measure of pressure in the labour market. Stats SA reported that the combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment increased by 0.7 percentage points to 36.6%.
The combined rate of unemployment and the potential labour force, known as LU3, increased by 0.1 percentage point to 43.8%. The broader composite measure of labour underutilisation, LU4, remained unchanged at 46.3%. These measures capture people in different situations and with different levels of attachment to the labour market.
The latest figures come after Stats SA reported in May that the official unemployment rate had risen to 32.7% in the first quarter. At that time, employment had fallen by 345,000, with community and social services and construction among the sectors recording the largest employment losses.
The second-quarter figures therefore show that the unemployment rate continued to move higher, while the number of people without jobs increased and overall employment declined slightly.
The latest data provides an updated picture of South Africa’s employment situation as the country continues to deal with high unemployment, particularly among young people. The official unemployment rate now stands at 33.6%, while youth unemployment has reached 47.4%, according to Stats SA.
