S. Africa’s unemployment rate surges to 32.1%

South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 32.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2023 from 31.9 per cent in the third quarter same year, according to Statistics South Africa date on Monday.

The data showed that the number of unemployed persons was 7,9 million in Q4, as opposed to 16,7 million currently employed.

Moreover, the data show that the industries with the biggest unemployment were agriculture, construction, and community and social services.

On the other hand, the largest industry employment gains were recorded in finance, transport, and mining.

Furthermore, a broader definition of unemployment, which takes into account those who are discouraged work-seekers or have other reasons for not searching, saw a minor decline, going from 41.2 per cent in July-September to 41.1 per cent in October-December.