Abstract

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) is a household-based sample survey conducted by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA). It collects data on the labour market activities of individuals aged 15 years or older who live in South Africa.

Geographic coverage

National coverage

Analysis unit

Individuals

Universe

The QLFS sample covers the non-institutional population of South Africa with one exception. The only institutional subpopulation included in the QLFS sample are individuals in worker's hostels. Persons living in private dwelling units within institutions are also enumerated. For example, within a school compound, one would enumerate the schoolmaster's house and teachers' accommodation because these are private dwellings. Students living in a dormitory on the school compound would, however, be excluded.

Kind of data

Sample survey data [ssd]

Sampling procedure

The QLFS uses a master sampling frame that is used by several household surveys conducted by Statistics South Africa. This wave of the QLFS is based on the 2013 master frame, which was created based on the 2011 census. There are 3324 PSUs in the master frame and roughly 33000 dwelling units.

The sample for the QLFS is based on a stratified two-stage design with probability proportional to size (PPS) sampling of PSUs in the first stage, and sampling of dwelling units (DUs) with systematic sampling in the second stage.

For each quarter of the QLFS, a quarter of the sampled dwellings are rotated out of the sample. These dwellings are replaced by new dwellings from the same PSU or the next PSU on the list. For more information see the statistical release.

Mode of data collection

Computer Assisted Telephone Interview [cati]

Research instrument

The survey questionnaire consists of the following sections: - Biographical information (marital status, education, etc.) - Economic activities in the last week for persons aged 15 years and older - Unemployment and economic inactivity for persons aged 15 years and above - Main work activity in the last week for persons aged 15 years and above - Earnings in the main job for employees, employers and own-account workers aged 15 years and above

From 2010 the income data collected by South Africa's Quarterly Labour Force Survey is no longer provided in the QLFS dataset (except for a brief return in QLFS 2010 Q3 which may be an error). Possibly because the data is unreliable at the level of the quarter, Statistics South Africa now provides the income data from the QLFS in an annualised dataset called Labour Market Dynamics in South Africa (LMDSA). The datasets for LMDSA are available from DataFirst's website.

In the second quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate among Black South Africans was 36.9 percent, marking a year-on-year change of 0.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the unemployment rate among white South Africans was 7.9 percent in the second quarter of 2024, with a 0.5 percent year-on-year change. Unemployment prevalent among youth and women The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force population that is unemployed, while the labor force includes individuals who are employed as well as those who are unemployed but looking for work. South Africa is struggling to absorb its youth into the job market. For instance, the unemployment rate among young South Africans aged 15-24 years reached a staggering 60.7 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Furthermore, women had higher unemployment rates than men. Since the start of 2016, the unemployment rate of women has been consistently more than that of men, reaching close to 36 percent compared to 30 percent, respectively. A new minimum wage and most paying jobs      In South Africa, a new minimum hourly wage went into effect on March 1, 2022. The minimum salary reached 23.19 South African rand per hour (1.44 U.S. dollars per hour), up from 21.69 South African rand per hour (1.35 U.S. dollars per hour) in 2021. In addition, the preponderance of employed South Africans worked between 40 and 45 hours weekly in 2021. Individuals holding Executive Management and Change Management jobs were the highest paid in the country, with salaries averaging 74,000 U.S. dollars per year.

As of the second quarter of 2024, nearly 3.83 million people in South Africa worked within the community and social services industry. The sector concentrated the highest number of employees, followed by the trade industry, which employed about 3.36 million people. A struggling labor market The South African labor market faces severe challenges and obstacles. In 2023, the country had the highest unemployment rate in Africa, with almost 30 percent of the labor force being jobless. In addition, only 40 percent of the population was employed in 2021. Indeed, South Africans were the most concerned globally about finding jobs and being unemployed. According to a survey, 64 percent of South African respondents reported being worried about unemployment as of September 2023. A highly unequal country South Africa is the most income-unequal country in the world, as it registered a Gini score of 63 in 2021. The major reasons for this inequality originate from the country’s infamous Apartheid regime and the failure of the job market to provide enough opportunities for its people. For example, the unemployment rate among Black South Africans was close to 37 percent, compared to eight percent for white South Africans. Furthermore, unemployment in the country was more widespread among individuals with a lower level of education. Specifically, in 2023, over 50 percent of the jobless South Africans had an education level lower than matric (grade 12).

As of 2024, South Africa's population increased, counting approximately 63 million inhabitants. Of these, roughly 27.5 million were aged 0-24, while 654,000 people were 80 years or older. Gauteng and Cape Town are the most populated Although South Africa’s yearly population growth has been dropping since 2013, the growth rate still stood above the world average in 2021. That year, the global population increase reached 0.94 percent, while for South Africa, the rise was 1.23 percent. The majority of the people lived in the borders of Gauteng, the smallest of the nine provinces in land area. The number of people residing there amounted to 15.9 million in 2021. Although Western Cape was the third-largest province, one of it cities, Cape Town, had the highest number of inhabitants in the country, at 3.4 million. An underemployed younger population South Africa has a large population under 14, who will be looking for job opportunities in the future. However, the country's labor market has had difficulty integrating these youngsters. Specifically, as of the third quarter of 2022, the unemployment rate reached close to 60 percent and 42.9 percent among people aged 15-24 and 25-34 years, respectively. In the same period, some 25 percent of the individuals between 15 and 24 years were economically active, while the labor force participation rate was higher among people aged 25 to 34, at 71.2 percent.

In the fourth quarter of 2023, the labor force participation rate among Black South Africans reached over 59 percent, marking a year-on-year change of two percent compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. However, the participation rate of the labor force among Indian/Asian South Africans dropped from about 61 percent in the previous year to 58 percent.

As of 2023, South Africa's population increased and counted approximately 62.3 million inhabitants in total, of which the majority inhabited Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, and the Western-Eastern Cape. Gauteng (includes Johannesburg) is the smallest province in South Africa, though highly urbanized with a population of over 16 million people according to the estimates. Cape Town, on the other hand, is the largest city in South Africa with nearly 3.43 million inhabitants in the same year, whereas Durban counted 3.12 million citizens. However, looking at cities including municipalities, Johannesburg ranks first. High rate of young population South Africa has a substantial population of young people. In 2024, approximately 34.3 percent of the people were aged 19 years or younger. Those aged 60 or older, on the other hand, made-up over 10 percent of the total population. Distributing South African citizens by marital status, approximately half of the males and females were classified as single in 2021. Furthermore, 29.1 percent of the men were registered as married, whereas nearly 27 percent of the women walked down the aisle. Youth unemployment Youth unemployment fluctuated heavily between 2003 and 2022. In 2003, the unemployment rate stood at 36 percent, followed by a significant increase to 45.5 percent in 2010. However, it fluctuated again and as of 2022, over 51 percent of the youth were registered as unemployed. Furthermore, based on a survey conducted on the worries of South Africans, some 64 percent reported being worried about employment and the job market situation.

Unemployment Rate in South Africa decreased to 31.90 percent in the fourth quarter of 2024 from 32.10 percent in the third quarter of 2024. This dataset provides - South Africa Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

Graph and download economic data for All Employees, Federal (CES9091000001) from Jan 1939 to Feb 2025 about establishment survey, federal, government, employment, and USA.

In 2023, there were nearly 18.9 million people estimated as employed in South Africa. Compared to the previous year, this was an increase from around 17.9 million individuals. From 2012 onwards, the number of employees generally increased, with a visible drop between 2020 and 2021.

The unemployment rate in South Africa declined to 27.99 percent in 2023. Nevertheless, the last two years recorded a significantly higher unemployment rate than the preceding years.The unemployment rate refers to the share of the workforce that is currently not working but is actively searching for work. It does not include the economically inactive population, such as the long-term unemployed, those aged under 15 years, or retired persons.Find more statistics on other topics about South Africa with key insights such as gross tertiary enrollment ratio, youth literacy rate (people aged 15-24), and Gender Parity Index (GPI) in youth literacy.

Graph and download economic data for Unemployment Rate - Black or African American (LNS14000006) from Jan 1972 to Feb 2025 about African-American, 16 years +, household survey, unemployment, rate, and USA.

The average monthly salary for South Africans who were employed in the formal non-agricultural sector was just over 26,800 South African rands (comparable to roughly 1,500 U.S. dollars) in November 2023, which represented a yearly increase of tw0 percent. During the period under review, the overall growth trend was positive, with the earnings increasing by 24.4 percent from 21,500 South African rands (approximately 1,180 U.S. dollars) in November 2018.    Minimum wage and highest-paid professions    Starting in March 2023, the minimum hourly wage in the country increased to 25.42 South African rands (comparable to 1.40 U.S. dollars), which represented an increase of 9.6 percent from 23.19 South African rands (1.27 U.S. dollars) per hour in the preceding year. On the other hand, professionals in executive and change management positions were paid the highest salaries in South Africa, with an average of 74,000 U.S. dollars yearly. Individuals with jobs in retail, trade, and craft followed, receiving an average of 66,000 U.S. dollars per annum.       Highest unemployment among Black South Africans In 2022, the unemployment rate in South Africa was nearly 30 percent following an increasing trend since 2008. The rate was highest among Black South Africans reaching as high as 36.8 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Moreover, Colored South Africans followed with around 22 percent, while white South Africans had a much lower unemployment rate of over 7 percent.

As of January 2024, there were 45.34 million active internet users in South Africa. According to the same report, close to 26 million internet users in the country used social media, around 42.8 percent of the total population. The future of internet usage in South Africa: projected growth and mobile dominance South Africa's digital population grew significantly during the last decade. In 2023, almost 44 million people were connected to the internet, up from around 25 million in 2013. Furthermore, the majority of the South African population, specifically 78.7 percent, utilized mobile devices to access the internet in 2022. This proportion will increase to over 90 percent by 2027. Additionally, the number of mobile internet users in South Africa was almost 47.8 million in 2022. Social media usage in South Africa: popularity and demographics The country's most popular social media platform during the third quarter of 2022 was Meta’s instant messaging application WhatsApp. Facebook and Instagram ranked second and third among South African internet users. Moreover, a closer look into the demographics of social media users in the country reveals that people between the ages of 25 to 34 years made up the highest share of users in South Africa.

In 2023, over 68.82 percent of South Africa's total population lived in urban areas and cities. Urbanization defines the share of urban population from the total population of a country. Just like urbanization, the population density within the nation has risen, reaching 46 inhabitants per square kilometer, meaning more people are sharing less space. Many opportunities for work and leisure can be found in the urban locations of South Africa, and as such the five largest municipalities each now have over three million residents. Facing its economic strengths and drawbacks South Africa is a leading services destination, as it is one of the most industrialized countries in the continent of Africa. The majority of the country’s gross domestic product comes from the services sector, where more than 70 percent of the employed population works. Unemployment is seen as a critical indicator of the state of an economy, and for South Africa, a high rate of over 25 percent could indicate a need for a shift in economic policy. As of 2017, South Africa was one of the twenty countries with the highest rate of unemployment in the world.

In 2024, preliminary figures recorded about 2.47 million Filipinos leaving the Philippines to work overseas — a number higher than the previous year's estimates. The number of deployed overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) significantly plummeted between 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leading occupation of deployed OFWs  Among the newly hired land-based overseas Filipino workers in 2023, about 158,000 of them were domestic cleaners and helpers, followed by domestic housekeepers. Filipino domestic cleaners and housekeepers have been in demand in several countries, particularly in the Middle East and Hong Kong. These countries usually offer higher wages and better employment benefits for such jobs, in comparison to employers in the Philippines. Increasing demand for healthcare workers  Aside from domestic cleaners and housekeepers, recent years reflected a growing demand for healthcare workers, especially since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Saudi Arabia was the leading destination of deployed Filipino nurses, followed by the United Kingdom and Germany.