The latest figures from Statistics South Africa indicate a modest decrease in the official unemployment rate, falling by 0.5 percentage points from 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025 to 31.4% in the fourth quarter.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey, employment increased by 44,000 to reach 17.1 million people, while the number of unemployed fell by 172,000 to 7.8 million compared to the previous quarter.
The survey also showed shifts among different groups of job-seekers. Discouraged job-seekers rose by 233,000 to 3.7 million, while other available job-seekers declined by 110,000 to 855,000. Unavailable job-seekers fell by 41,000 to 42,000, resulting in a net increase of 82,000 in the potential labour force to 4.6 million.
Meanwhile, the “other outside the labour force” category — individuals not actively seeking work — increased by 165,000 to 12.5 million. Overall, the total population outside the labour force, combining potential labour force and other outside the labour force, rose by 248,000 to 17.1 million in the fourth quarter.
While the data points to a slight improvement in employment, analysts note that South Africa’s labour market remains under pressure, with persistent high unemployment and a growing number of discouraged workers.