The number of discouraged job seekers increased to 3.7-million in the fourth quarter of 2025, despite the unemployment rate decreasing by 0.5 of a percentage point, according to the Stats SA quarterly labour force survey released on Tuesday.
The report said there was an increase in the number of employed people and the number of unemployed people, resulting in a decrease in the number of people who were available but not seeking jobs or unavailable but seeking jobs.
“Discouraged job seekers increased by 233,000 to 3.7-million; other available job seekers decreased by 110,000 to 855,000; and unavailable job seekers decreased by 41,000 to 42,000, resulting in a total net increase of 82,000 to 4.6-million in the potential labour force population.”
The report said while there was an increase of employed people to 17.1-million and the number of unemployed people decreased to 7.8-million, this resulted in a decrease of 128,000, or 0.5%, in the labour force.
“According to the quarterly labour force survey for quarter four of 2025 results, there was an increase of 44,000 in the number of employed persons to 17.1-million, while there was a decrease of 172,000 in the number of unemployed persons to 7.8-million compared with quarter three 2025 results.”
Changes in employment and unemployment resulted in the official unemployment rate decreasing by 0.5 of a percentage point from 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025 to 31.4% in the fourth quarter.
Others outside the labour force increased by 165,000 to 12.5-million. Outside the labour force, which is the total of the potential labour force and others outside the labour force, increased by 248,000 to 17.1-million in the fourth quarter of 2025.
“The combined rate of unemployment and time-related underemployment decreased by 0.6 of a percentage point to 34.3%; the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force decreased by 0.3 of a percentage point to 42.1% in the fourth quarter compared with the third quarter.”
The composite measure of labour underutilisation, which combines time-related underemployment, unemployment, and potential labour force as a proportion of the extended labour force, was 44.5% in the fourth quarter.
These labour underutilisation measures highlight people in different situations and with different degrees of attachment to the labour market.
TimesLIVE
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