01.03.06. Employment and unemployment rates | South Africa

01.03.06. Employment and unemployment rates | South Africa

12 Aug 2022

During the third quarter (July-Sept) of 2018, South Africa’s unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage point to 27.5% (StatsSA, 2018d). Compared to the second quarter (2018), employed persons increased by 92 000 (i.e., to 16.4 million), while persons slipping into unemployment increased by 127 000 (i.e., to 6.2 million) for the same period (StatsSA, 2018d). Currently, the national unemployment rate recorded for the first quarter of 2019 stands at 27.6% (StatsSA, 2019b). This trend in increasing unemployment has continued with a significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns.

The latest statistical release indicates a further decrease in employment between the fourth quarter in 2018, with declines recorded in both the formal and informal sectors (StatsSA, 2019b). During the first quarter in 2019, the unemployment rate increased in 6 of the 9 provinces, with Mpumalanga (2.2%), Limpopo and Free State (2.0%), and Eastern Cape (1.3%) recording the largest increases in unemployment (StatsSA, 2019b).

In 2018, the expanded unemployment rate (i.e., including people who have stopped looking for work) increased from 36.7% in the second quarter to 37.2% in the third quarter, with higher rates for women (41.2%) than for men (33.7%) (StatsSA, 2018d, 2018c). This trend continued into the first quarter of 2019 with a recorded expanded unemployment rate of 38% (StatsSA, 2019b).

Regardless of race, men in South Africa are more likely to be in paid employment compared to women, who by the second quarter of 2018 totalled 55.2% of workers involved in non-market activities (StatsSA, 2018c).

Based on these figures, the female South African workforce continues to experience lack of opportunities, systematic inequality, and indirect discrimination (SAHRC, 2017a).

Table 7: South African labour force by age (Jul-Sept 2018)

15-24 yrs

(thousand)

25-34 yrs

(thousand)

35-44 yrs

(thousand)

45-54 yrs

(thousand)

55-64 yrs

(thousand)

Population 15–24 yrs 10308 9963 8137 5716 3861
Labour force 2664 7404 6535 4252 1734
Employed 1257 4890 5100 3570 1564
Unemployed 1408 2514 1435 683 170
Not economically active 7644 2559 1602 1463 2127

Source (data): (StatsSA, 2018d), p.23-24.

Table 8: South African labour force by gender (Jul-Sept 2018)

Third Quarter (Jul-Sept 2018) Men

(thousand)

Women

(thousand)

Population 15–64 years 18790 19195
Labour force 12349 10240
Employed 9156 7225
Formal sector (non-agriculture) 6427 4827
Informal sector (non-agriculture) 1892 1125
Agriculture 565 277
Private households 271 995
Unemployed 3194 3016
Not economically active 6440 8955
Discouraged work seekers 1213 1520
Other (not economically active) 5228 7435
Rates (%)
Unemployment rate 25.9 29.4
Employed/population ratio (absorption) 48.7 37.6
Labour force participation rate 65.7 53.3

Source (data): (StatsSA, 2018d), p.19-20.

References:

SAHRC. (2017a). RESEARCH BRIEF ON GENDER AND EQUALITY IN SOUTH AFRICA 2013 to 2017. Available from: https://www.sahrc.org.za/home/21/files/RESEARCH%20BRIEF%20ON%20GENDER%20AND%20EQUALITY%20IN%20SOUTH%20AFRICA%202013%20to%202017.pdf

StatsSA. (2017a). Public healthcare: How much per person? Statistics South Africa: Statistical Release. http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=10548

StatsSA. (2018c). How do women fare in the South African labour market? Statistics South Africa. http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11375

StatsSA. (2018d). Quarterly Labour Force Survey. Available from: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=11882

StatsSA. (2019b). Quarterly Labour Force Survey: Q1 2019. Available from: https://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0211/Presentation_QLFS_Q1_2019.pdf