17 February 2026
The Federation of Unions of South Africa notes with deep concern and sober realism the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey data released today, which once again confirms that South Africa’s unemployment crisis remains structural, entrenched and far from resolved.
Statistics South Africa’s QLFS for the fourth quarter of 2025 shows that the official unemployment rate declined by 0.5 of a percentage point to 31.4%. In real terms, South Africa has 17.1 million people employed and 7.8 million people unemployed.
However, this marginal reduction of 172 000 fewer unemployed people in a country with 7.8 million unemployed does not meaningfully change the scale of the crisis. It does not reflect structural progress.
South Africa’s working age population now stands at 42.1 million. Of these, only 24.9 million are in the labour force. A staggering 17.1 million people are outside the labour force entirely. Within this group, 4.6 million form part of the potential labour force, and 3.7 million are discouraged work-seekers who want work but have lost hope of finding it.
These are not abstract indicators. They represent millions of people excluded from economic participation.
The labour force itself shrank by 128 000 people in the quarter. The labour force participation rate declined to 59.3%, and the absorption rate stands at just 40.6%. This means fewer working age South Africans are participating in, or being absorbed by, the economy.
When nearly half of the extended labour force is underutilised, the crisis becomes clearer. The broad composite measure of labour underutilisation stands at 44.5%. In other words, almost one in two people who should be active in the economy are unemployed, underemployed, or marginally attached to the labour market.
Youth unemployment remains a national fault line. The youth unemployment rate increased to 43.8%, with 4.6 million young people unemployed. Among those aged 15 to 24, 34.0% are not in employment, education or training. That is 3.5 million young people disconnected from both work and skills development.
The sectoral picture reinforces the structural weakness of the economy. While there were gains in community and social services, construction and finance, trade lost 98 000 jobs and manufacturing lost 61 000 jobs in the quarter. Manufacturing now employs 1.548 million people, down sharply from previous periods. These are sectors that sustain productive capacity and long term growth.
FEDUSA is clear. A movement from 31.9% to 31.4% unemployment in an economy with 7.8 million unemployed, 3.7 million discouraged workers, and 17.1 million people outside the labour force cannot be presented as recovery.
The data released today confirms a labour market that remains structurally weak, deeply unequal andunable to absorb its working age population at scale.
Employment must become the central organising principle of economic policy. South Africa requires deliberate labour absorbing growth, rebuilding of productive sectors, infrastructure expansion, and a skills system aligned with real economic demand. Without structural reform, quarterly fluctuations will continue to mask a persistent crisis.
The country cannot normalise unemployment at this level. The numbers released today demand decisive action grounded in evidence, not complacency grounded in percentages.
END.