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South Africa’s official unemployment rate was 32.1% in the Third Quarter of 2024, according to Statistics South Africa on Tuesday.
Statistician General, Risenga Maluleke, said the third quarter results show an increase of 294 000 in the number of people employed, to 16.9 million.
He also said there was a decrease of 373 000 in the number of unemployed people, which now stands at 8.0 million, resulting in a decrease of 79 000 (down by 0.3%) in the labour force during the same period.
“Discouraged work-seekers increased by 160 000 (up by 5.0%), and the number of persons who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 54 000 (up by 0.4%) between the second quarter and third quarter of 2024.
“This led to an increase of 214 000 in the number of the not economically active population to 16.5 million,” Maluleke said.
He said the changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate decreasing by 1. 4 percentage points from 33. 5% in the second quarter of 2024 to 32,1% in the third quarter of 2024.
“The expanded unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2024 decreased by 0. 7 of a percentage point to 41.9% when compared with the second quarter of 2024.
Meanwhile, Statistics South Africa said the number of persons employed in the formal sector increased by 122 000 in the Third Quarter, and the informal sector employment increased by 165 000 over the same period.
“The results also indicate that the largest increases in employment were observed in Eastern Cape (83 000), Western Cape (75 000), North West (69 000) and Mpumalanga (49 000), while decreases were only observed in Gauteng (66 000) and Kwa-Zulu Natal (2 000).”
???? South Africa’s #unemployment rate decreased by 1,4 percentage points to 32,1% in Q3:2024.
— Stats SA (@StatsSA) November 12, 2024
#StatsSA #ZAQLFS pic.twitter.com/xaNud5WE60
