Cape Town – Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) has reported a slight improvement in the labour market in the fourth quarter of 2025, with the official unemployment rate declining from 31.9% to 31.4%.
Around 44,000 jobs were added, bringing total employment to 17.1 million, while the number of unemployed people dropped by 172,000 to 7.8 million.
“This resulted in a decrease of 128 000 (or 0.5%) in the labour force in the same period,” Stats SA said.
🧵#SAunemployment || The official unemployment rate decreased by 0,5 of a percentage point to 31,4% in Q4:2025 compared to Q3:2025.
Read more here: https://t.co/87qT4zWizS#StatsSA #KnowYourStatsZA #GovZAUpdates pic.twitter.com/zUzltCCtyN
— Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) (@StatsSA) February 17, 2026
However, youth remain the most vulnerable group. Although 84,000 fewer young people were unemployed, youth employment also fell by 113,000, pushing the youth unemployment rate slightly higher to 43.8%.
The Western Cape recorded the biggest employment gains (93,000 jobs), while Gauteng experienced the largest losses (54,000 jobs). Community and social services, construction, and finance saw the strongest growth, while trade, manufacturing, and mining shed the most jobs.
Despite the overall improvement, discouraged job-seekers increased, and broader measures of labour underutilisation remain high, highlighting ongoing structural challenges in South Africa’s job market.
WATCH | Statistics South Africa data shows that the unemployment rate has eased to 31.4% in Q4 2025. But independent research consultant Dimakatso Manthosi says the data shows little positive change, with many young people still without jobs. pic.twitter.com/SutOesvQCA
— SABC News (@SABCNews) February 17, 2026
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Compiled by Betha Madhomu
