Unemployment rate in South Africa
The percentage of South Africa's working-age population that did not have work and were considered unemployed each quarter since 2008.
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The data
74 rows, 28 columns.
- year Year
- Calendar year 2008 – 2026
- quarters Number
- Three-month period starting with 1, which is Jan to March. 1 – 4
- date Date
- Last day of the quarter, yyyy-mm-dd 2008-03-31 – 2026-06-30
- months Text
- Months in each quarter, eg "Jan-Mar 2025"
- population_15_64_yrs Number
- Number of people aged 15 to 64 years, ie, the working-age population as defined by Statistics South Africa 31544169 – 42310000
- total_labour_force Number
- Total number of people in the labour force, which is the sum of the number of employed and unemployed. 18265998 – 25220000
- labour_force_difference_per_quarter Number
- Quarterly change in the size of the labour force. Calculated by subtracting one quarter total labour force from the previous quarter's -5009138 – 2780686
- percent_labourforce Number
- Labour force participation rate: labour force as a percentage of the working-age population. 47.26 – 60.67
- labour_force_change% Number
- -21.36 – 15.08
- total_employed Number
- Total number of employed people 13647784 – 17099000
- percent_employed Number
- Calculated value: Percentage of the labour force that is employed 64.74 – 78.49
- employed_change% Number
- -13.64 – 4.34
- total_unemployed Number
- Total number of unemployed people 4047887 – 8481000
- percent_unemployed Number
- Unemployment as a percentage of the labour force, ie, unemployment rate 21.5 – 35.3
- unemployed_change% Number
- -39.25 – 52.11
- total_not_economically_active Number
- 12735693 – 20577950
- percent_not_economically_active Number
- 39.3 – 52.7
- not_active_change% Number
- -12.8 – 33.4
- total_discouraged_workseekers Number
- Total number of discouraged work seekers. Discouraged job seekers are people who are unemployed and willing to work, but have not actively pursued employment due to factors such as a lack of job opportunities in their vicinity, inability to secure positions matching their skills, or a sense of despair about the prospect of finding any form of employment. 1092655 – 3893000
- percent_discouraged_workseekers Number
- Calculated value: Discouraged work-seekers as a percentage of the working-age population 3.43 – 9.72
- discouraged_change% Number
- -15.3 – 24.6
- women_unemployment_rate Number
- Percentage of women in the labour force who are unemployed 24.8 – 38.2
- men_unemployment_rate Number
- Percentage of men in the labour force who are unemployed 18.8 – 33
- 15_to_24_years_expanded_unemployed Number
- Number of unemployed individuals aged 15–24 (expanded definition). The expanded definition includes discouraged work-seekers 1969000 – 2769000
- 15_to_24_years_expanded_unemployment_rate Number
- Percentage of people aged 15–24 years who are unemployed according to the expanded definition 54.2 – 77.4
- unemployed_expanded_15to64 Number
- Number of unemployed individuals aged 15–64 (expanded definition). The expanded definition includes discouraged work-seekers 5945298 – 12692000
- unemployed_expanded_15to64_rate Number
- Percentage of people aged 15–64 years (ie, the working age population) who are unemployed according to the expanded definition 28.7 – 46.6
- date_report_released Date
- Date the dataset was last updated 2019-05-14 – 2026-08-11
Latest rows
| year | quarters | date | months | population_15_64_yrs | total_labour_force | labour_force_difference_per_quarter | percent_labourforce | labour_force_change% | total_employed | percent_employed | employed_change% | total_unemployed | percent_unemployed | unemployed_change% | total_not_economically_active | percent_not_economically_active | not_active_change% | total_discouraged_workseekers | percent_discouraged_workseekers | discouraged_change% | women_unemployment_rate | men_unemployment_rate | 15_to_24_years_expanded_unemployed | 15_to_24_years_expanded_unemployment_rate | unemployed_expanded_15to64 | unemployed_expanded_15to64_rate | date_report_released |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 2 | 2026-06-30 | Apr-Jun 2026 | 42310000 | 25220000 | 329000 | 59.61 | 1.3 | 16739000 | 66.37 | -0.1 | 8481000 | 33.6 | 4.2 | 17090000 | 40.4 | -1.2 | 3665000 | 8.66 | -5.9 | 37.5 | 30.30 | 72.4 | 43.8 | 2026-08-11 | ||
| 2026 | 1 | 2026-03-31 | Jan-Mar 2026 | 42189000 | 24891000 | -44000 | 59.00 | -0.2 | 16754000 | 67.31 | -2.0 | 8137000 | 32.7 | 3.8 | 17298000 | 41.0 | 1.0 | 3893000 | 9.23 | 4.8 | 36.4 | 29.60 | 71.9 | 43.7 | 2026-05-12 | ||
| 2025 | 4 | 2025-12-31 | Oct-Dec 2025 | 42068000 | 24935000 | -127000 | 59.27 | -0.5 | 17099000 | 68.57 | 0.3 | 7836000 | 31.4 | -2.1 | 17134000 | 40.7 | 1.5 | 3714000 | 8.83 | 6.7 | 34.6 | 28.80 | 68.3 | 42.1 | 2026-02-17 | ||
| 2025 | 3 | 2025-09-30 | Jul-Sep 2025 | 41948000 | 25062000 | -112000 | 59.75 | -0.4 | 17055000 | 68.05 | 1.5 | 8007000 | 31.9 | -4.3 | 16886000 | 40.3 | 1.4 | 3481000 | 8.30 | 1.0 | 35.1 | 29.30 | 69.3 | 42.4 | 2025-11-11 | ||
| 2025 | 2 | 2025-06-30 | Apr-Jun 2025 | 41822000 | 25174000 | 159000 | 60.19 | 0.6 | 16807000 | 66.76 | 0.1 | 8367000 | 33.2 | 1.7 | 16648000 | 39.8 | -0.2 | 3445000 | 8.24 | -0.8 | 35.9 | 31.00 | 2648000 | 71.7 | 12648000 | 42.9 | 2025-08-12 |
| 2025 | 1 | 2025-03-31 | Jan-Mar 2025 | 41691000 | 25015000 | -54000 | 60.00 | -0.2 | 16787000 | 67.11 | -1.7 | 8228000 | 32.9 | 3.0 | 16676000 | 40.0 | 1.1 | 3473000 | 8.33 | 0.2 | 35.5 | 30.70 | 2676000 | 72.4 | 12692000 | 43.1 | 2025-05-13 |
| 2024 | 4 | 2024-12-31 | Oct-Dec 2024 | 41561000 | 25069000 | 112000 | 60.32 | 0 | 17078000 | 68.12 | 0.8 | 7991000 | 31.9 | -0.2 | 16492000 | 39.7 | 0.1 | 3466000 | 8.34 | 3.3 | 33.9 | 30.10 | 2605000 | 70.3 | 12291000 | 41.9 | 2025-02-18 |
| 2024 | 3 | 2024-09-30 | Jul-Sep 2024 | 41431000 | 24957000 | -79000 | 60.24 | 0 | 16946000 | 67.90 | 1.8 | 8011000 | 32.1 | -4.4 | 16474000 | 39.8 | 1.3 | 3355000 | 8.10 | 5.0 | 34.4 | 30.10 | 2616000 | 70.7 | 12231000 | 41.9 | 2024-11-12 |
| 2024 | 2 | 2024-06-30 | Apr-Jun 2024 | 41296000 | 25036000 | 65000 | 60.63 | 0 | 16652000 | 66.51 | -0.6 | 8384000 | 33.5 | 1.9 | 16260000 | 39.4 | 0.4 | 3195000 | 7.74 | 4.8 | 35.8 | 31.50 | 2615000 | 70.6 | 12383000 | 42.6 | 2024-08-13 |
| 2024 | 1 | 2024-03-31 | Jan-Mar 2024 | 41158000 | 24971000 | 352000 | 60.67 | 1.43 | 16745000 | 67.06 | 0.13 | 8226000 | 32.9 | 4.19 | 16188000 | 39.3 | -1.3 | 3048000 | 7.41 | 0.0 | 35.2 | 31.00 | 2539000 | 69.6 | 12084000 | 41.9 | 2024-05-14 |
| 2023 | 4 | 2023-12-31 | Oct-Dec 2023 | 41022000 | 24619000 | 25000 | 60.01 | 0.10 | 16723000 | 67.93 | -0.13 | 7895000 | 32.1 | 0.59 | 16403000 | 40.0 | 0.7 | 3049000 | 7.43 | -3.4 | 34.4 | 30.10 | 2461000 | 69.1 | 11665000 | 41.1 | 2024-02-20 |
| 2023 | 3 | 2023-09-30 | Jul-Sep 2023 | 40886000 | 24594000 | 326000 | 60.15 | 1.34 | 16745000 | 68.09 | 2.44 | 7849000 | 31.9 | -0.91 | 16292000 | 39.8 | -1.1 | 3156000 | 7.72 | -0.8 | 34.0 | 30.10 | 2404000 | 67.6 | 11733000 | 41.2 | 2023-11-14 |
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