SA's official unemployment rate hits 32.1%

JOHANNESBURG - The country’s official unemployment rate has breached the 32% mark again following the recent job losses in the fourth quarter of 2023.
 
Unemployment increased to 32.1% in the fourth quarter, up from 31.9% in the previous quarter.
 
Stats SA released the Quarterly Labour Force Survey on Tuesday.

Stats SA said that five industries contributed to job losses in the fourth quarter.

Community and social services shed the most, with more than 170,000 people out of a job during the same period.

Manufacturing was also down but not nearly as much as construction, agriculture and trade.

This means in the economically active population, 7.9 million people are jobless.

That number is almost double for the expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged jobseekers.

Stats SA said that the fourth quarter results showed that the youth remained vulnerable in the labour market.