South Africa faces increased unemployment as youth joblessness reaches alarming levels

TRADE unions and other experts have raised concern about South Africa's unemployment rate rising to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025 from 31.9% in the final quarter of 2024.

- YOGASHEN PILLAY

According to Statistics South Africa, youth unemployment is currently at 46.1% in the first quarter of 2025.

Matthew Parks, parliamentary coordinator for the Congress of South African Trade Unions (Cosatu), said job numbers typically increase during the festive season as sectors like retail and hospitality thrive.

Parks said this decrease in employment was extremely worrying.

“We cannot continue to normalise an economy where four out of 10 South Africans cannot find work. Our unemployment levels and the inability of an economy stumbling along 1% growth annually to absorb new labour market entrants must be treated as the existential threat to the nation,” he said.

The Federation of Unions of South Africa (Fedusa) said the increase in discouraged work-seekers reflected widespread disengagement from the world of work.