South Africa's official unemployment rate rises to 33.6 per cent, with youth unemployment at 47.4 per cent

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South Africa's official unemployment rate rises to 33.6 per cent, with youth unemployment at 47.4 per cent

16 October 2026

Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey put the official unemployment rate at 33.6 per cent in the second quarter of 2026, up 0.9 percentage points from 32.7 per cent in the first quarter.
The number of unemployed rose by 345,000 to 8.5 million, while employment fell by 16,000 to 16.7 million.
The labour force grew by 329,000, or 1.3 per cent.
Among those aged 15 to 34, the unemployment rate rose 1.5 percentage points to 47.4 per cent, with 5.0 million unemployed youth.
Trade added 70,000 jobs and construction 39,000, while community and social services lost 57,000 and mining 26,000.
The survey was released on 11 August 2026.

Official unemployment rate: 33.6 per cent Previous quarter: 32.7 per cent Unemployed persons: 8.5 million Youth unemployment (15-34): 47.4 per cent

Why it matters for exams: South Africa has one of the world's highest recorded unemployment rates, and the QLFS is the survey examiners compare with India's PLFS.

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16 October 2026 Source: SAnews (South African Government News Agency)

In plain words

QLFS Quarterly Labour Force Survey — Stats SA's household survey that measures employment and unemployment every quarter.

Discouraged job-seeker Discouraged work-seeker — Someone who wants work but has stopped looking because they believe no suitable job is available.