The formal non-agricultural sectors saw an increase in employment by 122,000, while informal sector employment increased by 165,000, and agriculture by 39,000.
The Eastern Cape, Western Cape and North West recorded the largest increases in employment in the third quarter of 2024, while Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal saw decreases.
North West recorded the highest expanded unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2024 at 51.5%, followed by Mpumalanga at 47.8%.
The North West also recorded the highest difference between expanded and official unemployment rates of 14.7 percentage points.
TimesLIVE
Employment sees highest quarterly rise of 2024
Eastern Cape, Western Cape and North West recorded largest increases in employment
Image: 123RF/POP NUKOONRAT
South Africa secured its highest quarterly rise in the number of employed people in the third quarter of 2024 after employment increased by 294,000.
This is according to Statistics South Africa’s latest quarterly labour force survey (QLFS) statistics released on Tuesday.
The increase in employment is the highest since the fourth quarter of 2023 and follows a decrease of 92,000 in employment during the second quarter of 2024.
Stats SA said this brings the official unemployment rate to 32.1%, which is a decrease by 1.4 percentage points between the second and third quarter of 2024.
The QLFS said the expanded unemployment rate decreased by 0.7 of a percentage point to 41.9% when comparing the third and second quarters of 2024.
Employment increased in all sectors between the second and third quarters of 2024, except in the private households category, which decreased by 32,000 jobs.
The formal non-agricultural sectors saw an increase in employment by 122,000, while informal sector employment increased by 165,000, and agriculture by 39,000.
The Eastern Cape, Western Cape and North West recorded the largest increases in employment in the third quarter of 2024, while Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal saw decreases.
North West recorded the highest expanded unemployment rate in the third quarter of 2024 at 51.5%, followed by Mpumalanga at 47.8%.
The North West also recorded the highest difference between expanded and official unemployment rates of 14.7 percentage points.
TimesLIVE
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