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Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) reported a decrease of 0.2 of unemployment rate in the country in its Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) on Tuesday, 18 February 2025, of which the Deputy Minister in the Presidency Nonceba Mhlauli has welcomed.
Though it may be a minimal decrease, the trajectory may be indicative of a recovering economy, the unemployment rate in South Africa remains high however Mhlauli is optimistic with the direction of the economy of the country.
According to the QLFS Q4: 2024 results, there was an increase of 132 000 in the number of employed persons to 17,1 million while there was a decrease of 20 000 in the number of unemployed persons to 8,0 million. This resulted in an increase of 112 000 (up by 0,4%) in the labour force during the same period.
The above changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate decreasing by 0,2 of a percentage point from 32,1% in the third quarter of 2024 to 31,9% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Importantly, the results for the fourth quarter of 2024 show the total number of unemployed youths decreased by 133 000 to 4,7 million while employed youths recorded an increase of 37 000 to 5.8 million. As a result, the youth unemployment rate decreased from 45.5% in the third quarter 2024 to 44,6% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
The largest decreases were recorded in Northern Cape (3,0 percentage points), followed by KwaZulu-Natal (2,6 percentage points) and Mpumalanga (1,5 percentage points). Increases in the unemployment rate were recorded in North West (4,5 percentage points), Free State (1,9 percentage points) and Gauteng (0,4 of a percentage point), while Western Cape remained unchanged.
“As the President stated in his State of the Nation Address earlier this month, government is committed to tackling unemployment through strategic investments, policy reforms, and enhanced private sector participation. These results are showing a consecutive decrease in unemployment from quarter 3 proves that the various efforts are working,” said the Deputy Minister.
“The reduction in the unemployment rate reflects the dedication and collaborative efforts of our government and key stakeholders. The Presidential Youth Employment Initiative (PYEI) and Operation Vulindlela have played a crucial role in stimulating economic growth and job creation. We are encouraged to see these initiatives delivering positive outcomes,” stated the Deputy Minister.
