The South African Federation of Trade Unions (SAFTU) warned that South Africa must never accept mass unemployment as normal. Today’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2026 confirms that this warning remains urgent.
The official unemployment rate rose from 33.6% to 33.7%. The number of unemployed people increased by 97,000 to 8.6 million. A further 4.6 million people are in the potential labour force people available for work but not looking, or looking but currently unavailable. Together, that is 13.2 million people who are unemployed or in the potential labour force.
The broader indicators show the depth of the crisis. The LU3 rate, which includes unemployment and the potential labour force, rose from 43.8% to 44.0%. The broadest measure, LU4, remained at 46.3% and is 1.4 percentage points higher than a year ago.
The provincial figures remain devastating. In the North West, 55.0% of the extended labour force is unemployed or in the potential labour force; in the Eastern Cape, the rate is 51.8%. Both figures remain above half, despite falling from the previous quarter.
Stats SA recorded 101,000 more employed people this quarter, but unemployment also rose. The number of unemployed people increased, discouraged work-seekers rose by 70,000 to 3.7 million, and employment fell in the informal sector, private households, agriculture and construction.
Government officials responsible for driving and sustaining this failure have no grounds to reward themselves with salary increases while millions remain without work and millions more have given up searching. They must forgo any increase. Those who have presided over this catastrophe must take responsibility and resign.
We cannot allow these figures to become a routine feature of quarterly announcements. Behind every statistic is a person denied the means to support themselves and their family. The cost is borne especially by young people, women and working-class communities, while the country’s productive capacity and human potential go unused.
Government must abandon austerity and present an urgent, funded employment strategy that creates decent work, rebuilds public services and expands productive capacity. This requires public investment, industrialisation, support for labour-intensive sectors and the protection of existing jobs. It also requires income support for people shut out of work while the employment crisis continues.
The real counterrevolution is the normalisation of unemployment affecting millions, alongside labour underutilisation reaching 46.3%. SAFTU refuses to accept that as normal or inevitable.
A statement was issued on behalf of SAFTU by the General Secretary, Zwelinzima
Vavi.
For media inquiries, contact the National Spokesperson at
Newton Masuku
066 168 2157
Newtonm@saftu.org.za
Media Officer
Asive Dyani
0719019564
