Young South Africans with higher levels of education are far more likely to find work than those with lower qualifications.
According to Statistics South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the first quarter of 2025, youth without a matric qualification recorded the highest unemployment rate at 51.6%. The rate was slightly lower for those who had completed matric, at 47.6%.
"Education continues to play a pivotal role in determining young people’s employment prospects. Those without a matric qualification face the steepest uphill climb, with an unemployment rate of 51,6%—the highest across all education levels." the agency said last year.
The agency added that employment prospects improve as education levels increase.
"For those who complete matric, the situation improves marginally, though the unemployment rate remains high at 47,6%. Youth who obtain vocational or technical training (classified as “Other Tertiary”) fare somewhat better, with the unemployment rate reduced to 37,3%.
