SA's official unemployment rate increases to 32.9%

JOHANNESBURG -  Pressure is mounting on the African National Congress (ANC) as more jobseekers battle to secure a paycheque.

The country’s unemployment rate has ticked up again, trapping millions of South Africans in poverty.

The official unemployment rate rose to 32.9% in the first quarter of the year, up from the 32.1% seen in the previous quarter.

Stats SA released the latest jobs numbers on Tuesday.

More than 8 million people are unable to find jobs.

Already the highest in the world, the 32.9% unemployment rate is now a new record.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) comes just two weeks before the country’s crucial general elections.

It's expected to be a blow for the governing ANC, as voters grapple with the desperately high unemployment rate.

With a promise of new jobs, political parties are expected to use the crisis as leverage for votes.

The expanded unemployment rate also increased by 0.8 of a percentage point to reach 41.9% in the first quarter.

The expanded definition of unemployment includes people discouraged from job-seeking or those that have other reasons for not searching.