SA's jobs bloodbath deepens as major companies exit and retrench

NEW data, released by Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey, reveals a staggering loss of 291 000 jobs in the first quarter of 2025.

- HOPE NTANZI

The formal sector was hit hardest: trade shed 194000 jobs, construction lost 119000, mining declined by 35000, private households cut 68,000 positions, and community and social services fell by 45000.

Some sectors defied the trend, with the informal sector adding 17000 jobs and agriculture growing by 6000.

As a result, the official unemployment rate jumped one percentage point to 32.9%, leaving 8.2 million South Africans without work.

The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged job seekers, climbed to 42.9%, leaving more than 8.3 million people officially unemployed and a staggering 25 million working-age South Africans currently not in any form of employment.

Youth unemployment remains particularly alarming, reaching 46.1% in 2025, with around 4.8 million young South Africans aged 15-34 out of work.