South Africa's Unemployment Drops to 31.4%: Seasonal Work Boosts Job Count, SA Not Happy

• South Africa's unemployment rate decreased to 31.4% in Q4 2025, down from 31.9% previously
• Employment increased by 44,000 to 17.1 million, primarily due to seasonal work opportunities
• The rise in discouraged work-seekers raises concerns despite the positive employment statistics

Justin Williams, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, covers South Africa’s current affairs. Before joining Briefly News, he served as a writer and chief editor at Right for Education Africa’s South African chapter.

South Africa's official unemployment rate declined to 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025, down from 31.9% in the previous quarter, according to Statistics South Africa.

Unemployment rate declined to 31.4%

Employment increased by 44,000 to 17.1 million during the three months to December, largely driven by seasonal work, Stats SA reported. The number of unemployed people fell by 172,000 to 7.8 million. Statistician-General Risenga Maluleke said the labour force stood at 24.9 million out of a working-age population of 42.1 million. He explained that the unemployment rate of 31.4% reflects 7.8 million unemployed people divided by the 24.9 million economically active individuals.

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However, the number of discouraged work-seekers increased. Stats SA reported that 4.6 million people are now classified as part of the potential labour force, up by 82,000. The total number of people outside the labour force rose by 165,000 to 12.5 million, bringing the overall figure outside the labour market to 17.1 million. Maluleke noted that while the headline unemployment rate has edged lower, the rise in discouraged work-seekers remains a concern. He said the broader trend nevertheless suggests early signs of a gradual decline in unemployment levels.

South Africans react

Social media users shared their opinions regarding the stats.

@Kayaletu3 sai:

"The next administration will take over with all indicators trending in the positive direction, then South Africans are going to say, you see, we told you the ANC was the problem."

@JHalfonIL said:

"A decrease is great news; however, 30%+ unemployment is still a disaster that people are way too desensitised about."

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@KSathekgeJNR said:

"We could drop below 10% unemployment if all employers truly prioritised hiring South Africans in every sector, including e-hailing. But most of us don't want to comply with minimum wage."

@sto0018 said:

"Is a Q4 "drop" to 31.4% a win or just seasonal noise? Stats SA often ignores millions of discouraged workers who’ve simply given up. Add the temporary festive season hiring spike, and this looks more like a rounding error than a recovery."

@silindukuz28242 said:

"Which South Africa are they talking about?"

@Vavomsiza said:

"I don't believe Stats SA. The reality says otherwise. No one is going to gaslight me into believing this government is doing something to decrease the rate of unemployment. They failed the people of this country."

@user73258469___ said:

"The real unemployment is not even 31%; it's more, but they shamelessly front this lesser figure because they are trying to conceal the crisis from the public and are embarrassed by how they run a failed state."

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1 Minimum wage job attracts large crowd amid unemployment crisis

Briefly News also reported that a TikTok video showed viewers just how desperate many are for a job in South Africa.

The clip showed the turnout for a single job post for a minimum wage job.

Source: Briefly News