A healthy agricultural industry is vital to economic development, employment and food security. Stats SA’s latest annual Agricultural Survey (2024) provides insight into the products that sustain the industry, and the impact of small, medium and micro farmers. Horticulture: The most significant income generator In November, the Citrus Growers’ Association of Southern Africa reported a   read more »

Employment in SA’s formal non-agricultural sector edged up in the third quarter of 2025, according to the latest Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) released by Statistics South Africa. The survey shows a gain of 29 000 jobs (0,3%), with employment rising from 10,52 million in June 2025 to 10,55 million in September 2025. However, year-on-year figures paint a different   read more »

South Africa’s latest labour market results show that the unemployment rate fell to 31,9% in the third quarter of 2025, down by 1,3 percentage points from the previous quarter. While the decline in the official rate is encouraging, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) says there’s more to understanding the world of work than this single   read more »

According to the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES, Q2:2025) survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), total employment in the formal non-agricultural sector decreased by 80 000 (-0,8%) in the second quarter of 2025, with employment falling from 10,59 million in March 2025 to 10,51 million by June 2025. According to the survey, 229 000 jobs   read more »

This year’s Women’s Month marks two major milestones: the 69th anniversary of the 1956 women’s march to the Union Buildings and the 30th anniversary of the first official National Women’s Day. Under the theme “Building Resilient Economies for All,” the 2025 commemoration highlights the importance of women’s participation in leadership and the economy. As the   read more »

Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) will roll out an updated questionnaire for the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data collection in Quarter 3, aligning it with the latest international standards. Since its inception, the QLFS has served as a crucial instrument for understanding the South African labour market. Stats SA has diligently revised its questionnaire   read more »

According to the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES, Q1:2025) survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), total employment in the formal non-agricultural sector decreased by 74 000 (-0,7%) in the first quarter of 2025, with employment falling from 10,65 million in December 2024 to 10,58 million by March 2025. According to the survey, 95 000 jobs   read more »

According to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) for Q1:2025, young people aged 15 to 34 make up roughly 50,2% of South Africa’s working-age population, translating to approximately 20,9 million individuals. Within this cohort, the 15-24 age group—representing around 10,3 million individuals—faces the highest barriers to entering   read more »

After a challenging year of job losses, South Africa’s formal non-agricultural sector showed a glimmer of recovery in the final quarter of 2024. According to the Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES, Q4:2024) survey released by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA), employment in the sector rose by 12 000 jobs, reaching 10,64 million by December 2024. This   read more »

The 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA) underscored South Africa’s pressing labour market challenges, with unemployment remaining a top national concern. The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) reports an unemployment rate of 31,9% in Q4: 2024, reflecting the continued difficulty many South Africans face in securing jobs. Beyond unemployment, time-related underemployment remains a challenge,   read more »