Wednesday, 14 May 2025

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) notes the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey released on the 13^th of May 2025 by Statistics South Africa. The quarterly labour survey is yet more evidence that the governing party, together with its coalition partners in the so-called Government of National Unity (GNU), nearly a year into office, have failed to put in place any practical and believable plan to create jobs and address the crisis of unemployment in South Africa.

According to the report, the total number of employed persons stands at 16.8 million. The three industries that employ the most people remain Trade (3.2 million), Community and Social Services (3.9 million), and Finance (3.0 million). However, this quarter has seen a net job loss of 291,000. Major declines were recorded in Trade (down by 194,000), Construction (down by 119,000), and Private Households (down by 68,000). This sharp drop in employment is a clear sign of an economy with no prospects of meaningful growth, trapped in a cycle of informalisation and casual labour that denies our people dignity and security.

The unemployment rate has climbed back to 32.9%, confirming that nearly one in every three South Africans in the labour force is without work. Even more devastating is the expanded definition of unemployment, which now places the total number of unemployed persons at an alarming 12 million, including 3.5 million discouraged work-seekers—people who have lost all hope of ever finding a job. This represents a labour market collapse of historical proportions.

Young people continue to face the worst of this crisis. Today, 4.9 million young South Africans aged 15–34 are unemployed, and 45.1% of youth in this age group are not in employment, education, or training (NEET). Among 15–24-year-olds, the NEET rate now stands at 37.1%, up from 31.1% in 2018. There is also a worrying increase in graduate unemployment, which has risen to 11.7%, showing that even education no longer guarantees opportunity in this broken economy.

The EFF maintains that unemployment in South Africa remains racial in character. Black Africans bear the heaviest burden, with an expanded unemployment rate of 46.3%, far above the national average of 43.1%. This reflects a deeply unequal economy that continues to exclude the Black majority from full participation.

What is most concerning is that women continue to suffer structural exclusion and exploitation under this system. Black African women have the highest unemployment rates, with over 39% out of work. They are the backbone of South Africa’s economy—propping up underpaid sectors such as domestic work, retail, and care work—yet they remain the most disrespected and most disregarded. This systemic oppression feeds social ills, including gender-based violence, poverty, and the broader collapse of family and moral structures.

When we compare this to 2018 when Cyril Ramaphosa was first elected a president, the situation has clearly worsened. Then, the number of employed persons was 16.5 million—just 300,000 fewer than today, despite the population growing by over 3.5 million. The unemployment rate in 2018 was 27.1% (official) and 37.0% (expanded), compared to today’s 32.9% and 43.1%, respectively. In Quarter 4 of 2018, there were 6.1 million unemployed persons, compared to 8.2 million today—an increase of over 2 million jobless people in six years.

The so-called Government of National Unity has no credible plan to turn this around. It is a coalition of austerity, privatisation, and cowardice— whose leaders have agreed on a 2025 budget that deepens cuts to social infrastructure, does not support industrialisation, and offers no real intervention to grow the economy or create decent jobs. It is a neoliberal pact with capital, not a contract with the people.

The EFF has, time and again, placed on the table practical solutions that will stimulate economic activity and ensure mass job creation. These include a sovereign job guarantee fund, the establishment of labourintensive state-owned industries, insourcing of all government and municipal workers, and a massive infrastructure drive focused on rural and township economies. The current governing class is failing to appreciate that South Africa is facing a crisis and will plunged the whole country into further crisis as unemployment continues to be the biggest threat to national economic security.

ISSUED BY ECONOMIC FREEDOM FIGHTERS

Sinawo Thambo (National Spokesperson) 072 629 7422

Thembi Msane (National Spokesperson) 061 467 8169

Andiswa Madikazi (Parliament Media Liason) 069 516 4924

Thato Lebyane (Media Inquiries) 078 563 1581