Stats SA: 5.8m young people unemployed despite slight dip in official rate

While South Africa’s unemployment rate edged down slightly, for millions of young people, the crisis was intensifying.

7.8 million people were officially unemployed after the figure declined by 172,000 in the last quarter.

But the apparent improvement masked deeper strain in the labour market.

The total labour force shrank by 128,000 people, meaning fewer South Africans were working or actively looking for work.

Most of these were young people; 5.8 million of them were without jobs in the last quarter of 2025.

The number of discouraged work-seekers, people who wanted employment but stopped searching because they could not find work, surged by 233,000 to 3.7 million.

The figures from Statistics South Africa painted a troubling picture for young people, one marked not just by joblessness but growing despair.

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In the fourth quarter, 113,000 young people lost their jobs, pushing the total number of unemployed youth to 5.8 million.

Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said unemployment affected the youth the most.

"Unemployment affects the youth the most. We have more young people not in employment, education or training," he said.

Some of these young people did not have the required skills or experience, making their transition into employment much more challenging.

According to the data, youth with a matric qualification had a slim 4.8% chance of getting a job, while those with a tertiary qualification stood a better chance at 7.5%.