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South Africa’s unemployment rate hits highest level in a year as jobless numbers soar
The Star
|August 13, 2025
THE official unemployment rate in South Africa rose to its highest in one year as the jobless population surged by 140 000 in the three months to June, resulting in a total of 8.4 million individuals seeking work.
The increase in unemployment has raised concerns, with the official unemployment rate jumping by 0.3 percentage points from 32.9% in the first quarter to 33.2% in the second quarter.
This is the highest jobless rate since the second quarter of 2024.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) results for the second quarter of 2025, the labour market showed a modest increase in employment numbers but this was coupled with a worrying rise in the unemployment rate.
Statistics South Africa said there was an increase of 19 000 employed persons, bringing the total to 16.8 million.
This story is from the August 13, 2025 edition of The Star.
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