Overview
- Statistics South Africa’s Q3 2025 survey shows the national unemployment rate fell by 1.2 percentage points to 31.9%, with 248,000 more people employed and 8 million unemployed.
- Limpopo posted the largest provincial improvement, with unemployment down to 29.8% from 35.0%, and the province highlighted R170 billion in recent investment pledges and new road projects in the pipeline.
- The Western Cape’s rate declined to 19.7%, the lowest in the country, as the province added 70,000 jobs quarter‑on‑quarter and reported six investment declarations worth R50 billion expected to yield about 45,000 jobs over several years.
- North West recorded a two‑percentage‑point decline and created 42,000 jobs between July and September, with plans for a Provincial Mining Indaba, an Investment Conference and a Jobs Summit to spur further hiring.
- Stats SA identified construction, community and social services, and trade as the main sources of Q3 job gains, while manufacturing, finance and utilities shed jobs.