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Although the decline marks a modest improvement, unemployment remains above 30% — a level it first crossed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has struggled to recover from despite various government job creation efforts.
South Africa’s unemployment rate edged down in the third quarter of 2025, helped by job gains in construction, social services, and trade, according to the national statistics agency. According to Statistics South Africa, the official jobless rate fell to 31.9% between July and September, from 33.2% in the previous quarter.
Although the decline marks a modest improvement, unemployment remains above 30% — a level it first crossed during the COVID-19 pandemic and has struggled to recover from despite various government job creation efforts.
Out of ten major industries tracked, six recorded employment growth. The biggest gains came from construction (130,000 new jobs), followed by community and social services (116,000) and trade (108,000). Officials also noted that unemployment often trends lower in the third quarter due to seasonal hiring.
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While South Africa’s economy showed signs of improvement in the second quarter — supported by better electricity supply and fewer transport disruptions — overall growth remains weak. Experts called for increase in business investments to increase employment. Presently, the investment as a share of GDP is only 14% and it should be increased to 16%.
