Johannesburg – South Africa’s unemployment rate edged downward at the end of 2024, but remains among the world’s highest as the country grapples with the loss of US aid, official data showed on Tuesday.
The unemployment figure dropped by 0.2 points to 31.9 percent in the quarter ending in December, according to official StatsSA data.
Most of the new jobs were added in manufacturing, trade and social services, the agency said.
The rate is the lowest since the third quarter of 2023, and down from a lockdown peak of 35.3 percent in 2021.
The “expanded” unemployment rate, which includes people too discouraged to actively seek work, remained unchanged at nearly 42 percent – offering scant relief to the nation of more than 63 million people.
The jobless figure has been inching down since the formation of a government of national unity last year.
But those gains face headwinds after US President Donald Trump abruptly ordered aid to the country frozen, raising fears over whether he would also end South Africa’s preferential trade status.
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Source: AFP
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