South Africa’s unemployment crisis has deepened, with the number of unemployed people rising to 8.1 million, according to the latest figures released by Statistics South Africa.
The agency reports that the unemployment rate increased to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Stats SA says the labour market also saw a decline of 345,000 employed persons over the period, alongside a decrease of 44,000 in the overall labour force.
At the same time, the number of discouraged job seekers rose significantly by 178,000 to 3.9 million. Other categories of job seekers also increased, with those available for work rising by 55,000 to 910,000, while unavailable job seekers increased by 6,000 to 49,000.
This resulted in a net increase of 240,000 in the potential labour force population, bringing the total to 4.9 million people.
The latest figures highlight ongoing pressure in the labour market, with job creation failing to keep pace with population growth and economic demand.