South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.9% in the final quarter of last year, data from the statistics agency showed on Tuesday.
Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed people rose to 8.228 million in January-March, compared with 7.991 million in October-December.
An expanded definition of unemployment, which includes those discouraged from looking for work, rose to 43.1% from 41.9%.
Five of the 10 industries tracked by Statistics South Africa recorded employment increases while five industries saw decreases.
The most jobs were lost in the trade and construction sectors and the most added in transport and finance.
Reducing one of the highest unemployment rates in the world is a priority for South Africa’s coalition government.
REUTERS