PRETORIA, Wednesday 11 November 2026 — South Africa’s official unemployment rate increased to 33.7% in the third quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa, as the country continued to struggle with high unemployment among young people.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, released on Tuesday, showed that the unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points from 33.6% in the second quarter.
Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the number of employed people increased by 101,000 to approximately 16.8 million, while the number of unemployed people rose to approximately 8.6 million.
Formal sector employment grows
The survey recorded an increase of approximately 268,000 jobs in the formal sector, bringing formal employment to 12.3 million.
However, employment declined in the informal sector and private households.
The finance sector recorded the largest employment increase, adding approximately 111,000 jobs.
Manufacturing added 33,000 jobs, while mining recorded an increase of 31,000.
Employment losses were recorded in private households, agriculture and construction.
Youth unemployment remains a concern
Young South Africans continued to face significantly higher unemployment than the national average.
According to the survey, unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 stood at 63.6%, while the rate among those aged 25 to 34 was 41.4%.
The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by approximately 70,000 to 3.7 million.
These figures highlight the continuing difficulty many South Africans face in entering the labour market, particularly younger people seeking their first employment opportunities.
Provincial differences remain substantial
The Eastern Cape recorded the highest provincial unemployment rate at 44.3%.
It was followed by the Free State at 39.1%, North West at 38.1% and Mpumalanga at 37.8%.
Gauteng recorded unemployment of 35.7%, also above the national average.
The Western Cape recorded the lowest provincial unemployment rate at 19.4%.
The latest figures provide a further measure of the country’s economic challenges as government faces pressure to stimulate growth, expand employment opportunities and address persistently high youth unemployment.
