South Africa unemployment climbs to 32.7% in Q1 2026, youth job loss surges

Statistics South Africa reported that the official unemployment rate rose to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026, up from 31.4% in the previous quarter, while an expanded measure reached 43.7%. The number of unemployed rose to about 8.1 million.

Youth unemployment worsened sharply: the youth rate jumped to 45.8%, an increase of 2.0 percentage points, with 181 000 more young people classified as unemployed and 258 000 youth losing jobs during the quarter. An Advocacy Capital spokesperson warned that “the entry‑level requirements for a young person to get a job is getting significantly more difficult.”

Job losses were broad‑based. The community and social services sector shed the most jobs (≈206 000), followed by construction (≈110 000) and transport (≈30 000). Manufacturing, mining and agriculture posted modest gains. Overall, 345 000 jobs were lost, pushing total employment to 16.8 million.

Analysts linked the labor‑market weakness to rising living‑cost pressures and noted that worsening unemployment fuels anti‑immigrant sentiment in townships and urban areas. The government’s coalition, formed in 2024, continues to struggle to generate meaningful job creation despite modest economic recovery.