South Africa’s employment situation is worsening, and one province is bearing the brunt more than any other.
In the North West, there are now more people without jobs than those who are employed, prompting some experts to suggest the area should be declared a provincial disaster.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q2 2025, released by Stats SA, shows the national unemployment rate has climbed to 33.2 percent.
This is up from 32.9 percent in Q1 and 31.9 percent at the end of 2024, highlighting a steady rise in joblessness across the country.
National Job Market Sees Modest Job Creation
Between April and June 2025, around 159,000 new people entered the labour force, but only 19,000 of them found work.
This meant 140,000 more South Africans joined the ranks of the unemployed during this period.
Interestingly, the number of discouraged work-seekers—people who have stopped actively looking for employment—dropped slightly by 28,000.
As a result, the expanded unemployment rate, which accounts for these discouraged workers, edged down marginally from 43.1 percent to 42.9 percent.
North West Province Hit the Hardest
The North West stands out as the province in the most critical situation.
Stats SA reports an official unemployment rate of 40.1 percent and an expanded rate of 54.7 percent.
This means the majority of adults in the province are either unemployed or have given up searching for work altogether.
Roughly 14.6 percent of the unemployed have stopped seeking employment entirely, reflecting the depth of the crisis in the region.
