Spotlight on unemployment rate in SA
The country’s unemployment curve took a sharp turn for the worse this week, with Statistics South Africa reporting that 291 000 jobs were lost in the first quarter of 2025, raising the official unemployment rate to 32.9%.
This represented a reversal from the fourth quarter of 2024, during which the economy yielded 132 000 jobs.
The latest figures also push the expanded definition of unemployment, which includes discouraged work seekers, to 43%.
Job losses in the construction and trade sectors largely accounted for the latest numbers, which have pushed the official jobless figure at 8.2 million.
To delve deeper into this issue, we’re joined by a distinguished panel of experts:
First, we have Prof. Dieter von Fintel, a leading economist from the Institute of Labor Economics at Stellenbosch University. We also have Mametlwe Sebei, the President of General Industrial Workers Union of South Africa, as well as Dr Trevor Ngwane – a scholar-activist who works in academic and political spheres.
Before we go to the discussion, let’s hear what ordinary South Africans had to say when we took to the streets canvassing views on the crisis of unemployment.
For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.
For more news, visit sabcnews.com and #SABCNews on all Social Media platforms.
