Overview
- Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for Q4 2025 reports the national unemployment rate eased to 31.4% from 31.9%.
- The Western Cape fell to 18.1%, a five-year low, with Premier Alan Winde citing gains of 48,000 jobs in trade and 22,000 each in agriculture and construction.
- The Northern Cape posted the largest quarterly improvement, dropping 4.1 percentage points to 27.1%, with reporting linking gains to mining expansions and planned bulk water projects.
- The Eastern Cape rose to 42.5% with about 30,000 jobs lost, the highest provincial rate, as officials point to persistent structural constraints.
- The DA says Gauteng shed 54,000 jobs in the quarter, placing unemployment at roughly 33% with about 2.56 million residents out of work, while Stats SA notes 34% of 15–24-year-olds are NEET and the unemployed total has grown from 5.2 million in 2015 to 7.8 million in 2025.