unemployment Archives - Voice of the Cape

Unemployment in South Africa affects mostly young people

By Rachel Mohamed Youth unemployment remains one of South Africa’s most urgent challenges. President Cyril Ramaphosa recently announced that nearly two million young people have already benefited from the Presidential Youth Employment Initiative. Last week, the government launched a new phase of the programme, aimed at creating further opportunities for the country's youth. Speaking on VOC, Clotilde Angelucci, Acting Project Lead at Youth Capital, reflected on the Presidential Youth Employment […]

11 June 2025

Local

South Africa’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 32.9% in First Quarter of 2025

South Africa’s unemployment rate has risen to 32.9% in the first quarter of 2025, marking a one-percentage-point increase from the previous quarter. This is according to the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa. The data reveals a concerning drop of 291,000 in the number of employed persons, reducing the total employed population from 17.1 million in Q4 of 2024 to 16.8 million. Simultaneously, the number […]

13 May 2025

Local

Unemployment rate drops to 32.1%, but structural issues persist

South Africa's official unemployment rate has dropped by 1.4 percentage points, moving from 33.5% in the second quarter to 32.1% in the third quarter of 2024, according to Statistics SA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey. This decline reflects an increase of 294,000 employed individuals and a decrease of 373,000 unemployed persons. Independent Economic Analyst Professor Bonke Dumisa welcomed the improvement but emphasized its limited impact. "While the 1.4% decrease is […]

18 November 2024

News

Save SA wants governments to scrap the age limit restrictions of 35 years old when employing young people

By Rachel Mohamed The Save South Africa Civic Movement has called for the scrapping of age restrictions on employment age limits for Government entry-level jobs and entry into the police sector. The organization believes that those above the age of 35 receive little support to garner employment. Speaking to VOC’s News Beat show on Wednesday, Campaigns & Communications Director Save South Africa Civic Movement Tebogo Mashilompane said most government jobs […]

23 August 2024

Local

Unemployment and crime fuel mental health crisis among SA youth

By Ragheema Mclean Several communities across the country are witnessing a troubling rise in mental health difficulties among the younger population, driven by the stress of crime, gun violence, rising unemployment, and food shortages. These socio-economic challenges are having a profound impact on the younger generation, exacerbating an already dire situation. Recent figures released by StatsSA have only added to the growing concern. The unemployment rate increased to 33.5% in […]

21 August 2024

Local

Cosatu urges bold action on rising unemployment in South Africa

By Lee-Yandra Paulsen Union Federation Cosatu has called for a Medium-Term Budget Policy Statement that decisively addresses unemployment and stimulates South Africa's struggling economy. The country’s official unemployment rate has risen from 32.9% in the first quarter to 33.5% in the second quarter. Cosatu’s Parliamentary Coordinator, Matthew Parks, stressed that both the government and the private sector must recognize the severity of the crisis impacting the unemployed and their families. […]

15 August 2024

Local

Job hunting: How to identify red flags

By Quanita Kamaar If you are unemployed and feeling the pinch of not earning an income, recruitment experts are cautioning job seekers to be wary of bogus recruitment campaigns. When registering with a job recruitment agency make sure that the company has a positive track record and is recognised. Working with reputable agencies can help safeguard you from being exploited as a job seeker. "As a recruitment agency we go […]

12 July 2024

Local

Unemployment in South Africa now at 31%, showing signs of recovery

By Ragheema Mclean While unemployment in South remains a major cause for concern, slight areas of improvement were recorded in the third quarter of 2023. According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) released by Statistics South Africa (StatsSA) this week, the country's unemployment rate now stands at 31.9%. The number of employed individuals increased by 399,000 to reach 16.7 million employed people in South Africa. This is a notable […]

15 November 2023

Local

SA unemployment rate records slight decline

Statistics South Africa has released the unemployment rate for the second quarter of 2023, which declined slightly to 32.6% from 32.9% in the first quarter. The number of unemployed people also declined slightly, coming in at 7 921 000. According to an expanded definition of unemployment that includes those discouraged from seeking work, 42.1% of the labour force was without work in the second quarter, compared with 42.4% in the […]

15 August 2023

unemployment

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