Questions raised over accuracy of Stats SA unemployment figures

SK

Sara-Jayne Makwala King

16 January 2026 | 18:35

Do the official unemployment statistics fully reflect South Africa’s jobs crisis?

Questions raised over accuracy of Stats SA unemployment figures

Picture: Pixabay

South Africa’s official unemployment rate remains above 30%, one of the highest in the world, but questions are being raised about how accurately Stats SA figures reflect the country’s true jobs crisis.

The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey puts unemployment at around 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025, but some say the data may not be painting a true picture of the problem.

Stats SA relies on household surveys and estimates rather than a direct count of jobs ort those looking for work.

Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke says the official unemployment rate now incorporates elements that were previously measured separately under the expanded unemployment definition.

"The expanded unemployment rate would have included what you call your discouraged work-seekers as well as people that would have been available [for work]."

He adds that over time, more variables have been introduced to improve measurement.

"The official unemployment rate has generally been sitting at 32%, I'm talking about when you look over time."

There are also concerns that informal workers and people who have stopped looking for work are not fully captured.

Maluleke says earlier estimates placed informal sector employment at around 3.3 million, and did not include agricultural workers.

"When you remove the agricultural sector and talk about formal/informal and private households, then the informal sector sits at around 4.5 million."

Other concerns around the accuracy of numbers focus on Stats SA’s financial and staffing constraints, and concerns that limited resources could affect data quality and survey coverage.

To listen to Risenga Maluleke in conversation with 702’s Bongani Bingwa, click the audio below.

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