GUTTED: Manufacturing production and sales declined in June according to Stats SA
South Africa’s unemployment crisis is deepening as jobs disappear from some of the sectors that have traditionally provided work to millions of people, with experts warning that weak economic growth, declining investment and rising costs are making it harder for businesses to absorb new workers.
This comes as the country’s official unemployment rate climbed from 32.7% to 33.6% in the second quarter of 2026, with about 345 000 more people joining the ranks of the unemployed, pushing the number of unemployed people in the country to about 8.5 million, according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released by Statistics South Africa.
The latest figures have raised questions about whether South Africa’s economy is creating enough jobs, with employment declines recorded mainly in community and social services, mining, agriculture and manufacturing.
NWU Business School professor Raymond Parsons said the latest figures were an “unhappy picture” but reflected a problem that went deeper than the latest quarter.
