The unemployment rate in South Africa has risen to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, up from 31.9% in the last quarter of 2024, marking a one percentage point increase. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey, announced by Statistics South Africa in Pretoria, revealed that unemployment figures increased by 291,000 people in this quarter alone. Risenga Maluleke, Stats SA General, pointed out that 8.2 million South Africans are currently jobless, emphasizing that this figure represents people who are actively seeking employment. He further elaborated that the national problem is intensified by youth unemployment, particularly in the North West and Eastern Cape provinces. The first quarter of 2025 saw the North West exhibit a youth unemployment rate of 58.8%, while only 43.0% of its young people aged 15 to 34 were active in the labor market. In the Eastern Cape, the situation is similarly concerning, with a youth unemployment rate of 54.3% and the lowest youth labor force participation rate nationally at 39.8%.

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