South Africa Unemployment Rises to 32.7% in Q1 2026

South Africa's unemployment rate rose to 32.7 percent in the first quarter of 2026, reversing gains from late last year and leaving 8.1 million people jobless, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey from Statistics South Africa.

The data, released this week, showed the jobless rate climbing 1.3 percentage points from 31.4 percent in the fourth quarter of 2025. Employment fell by 345,000 to 16.8 million, with formal sector jobs dropping 189,000 and informal sector positions declining 127,000. Youth unemployment, for those aged 15 to 34, reached 45.8 percent, affecting 4.7 million young people after 258,000 lost jobs in that group.

Job losses were widespread, led by community and social services with 206,000 fewer positions, construction with 110,000 and transport with nearly 30,000. Modest gains occurred in manufacturing, which added 38,000 jobs, mining with 32,000 and agriculture with 10,000. All provinces except KwaZulu-Natal recorded declines, with North West losing 80,000 jobs, Gauteng 67,000 and Mpumalanga 54,000.

The survey also highlighted rising labor market detachment. Discouraged work seekers, who want jobs but believe none are available, increased by...