Statistics South Africa said the Eastern Cape has recorded the highest unemployment rate based on either the official or expanded definition.
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the first quarter of 2018 released on Tuesday, unemployment in the Eastern Cape using the official definition, stands at 35.6% percent, a 0.5% increase quarter to quarter.
Stats SA said under the expanded definition, this number jumps to 46%.
According to Stats SA, while the official unemployment rate remained unchanged at 26.7% in Quarter One, compared to the last quarter of 2017, unemployment increased in seven of the nine provinces.
Commenting on the latest figures for the Eastern Cape, DA Eastern Cape MPL, Bobby Stevenson, says its deeply disturbing to see that unemployment has once more increased in the Eastern Cape.
"This means that more and more people are without jobs. It means more and more families are battling to make ends meet and what we are definitely seeing now is a linkage between unemployment and rising protests in the Eastern Cape," Stevenson said.
"So, it's actually critical that government creates the right environment in this province so that we can have safety and security and we can have economic growth so that families can get jobs and put food on their table," he said.
Stats SA said in its official media statement that the South African working-age population increased by 153 000 or 0,4 percent in the first quarter of 2018 compared to the fourth quarter of 2017. The rise in both employment (up by 206 000) and unemployment (up by 100 000) over the quarter led to a rise in labour force participation rate (from 58,8% to 59,3%).
"The unemployment rate (26,7%) remained unchanged over the first quarter of 2018 compared to the fourth quarter of 2017."
"Employment gains were recorded in the formal sector (111 000), informal sector (93 000) and private households (5 000), while Agriculture recorded job losses (down by 3 000) in the first quarter of 2018."
"The number of discouraged work-seekers increased by 249 000 while the number of other not economically active persons decreased by 403 000, resulting in a net decline of 154 000 (down by 1,0 percentage point) in the number of people not economically active between the fourth quarter of 2017 and the first quarter of 2018," Stats SA said.
"While the official unemployment rate remained unchanged at 26,7% in Q1: 2018 compared to Q4: 2017, it increased in seven of the nine provinces and it decreased in two of the provinces," it said.
