South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 33.5% in Q2 2024, up from 32.9% in Q1, according to the government’s statistics office. This translates to 8.4 million jobless people, with the number of employed individuals dropping by 92,000 to 16.7 million in Q2 2024. This number is a significant increase from the 5.2 million unemployed persons recorded in 2014. The country has struggled to create jobs due to a prolonged recession which was worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sectors like trade, agriculture, and construction experienced the most job losses, while only manufacturing, social services, and utilities saw employment growth. These statistics are the first released since the May elections, where unemployment was a central issue, likely contributing to the African National Congress’ loss of an absolute majority.
SOURCE: AFRICA NEWS