The jobless rate in South Africa increased to 25.5 percent in the third quarter of 2015 from 25 percent in the previous period. The number of unemployed rose 3.6 percent while employment went up at a slower 1.1 percent and more people joined the labour force. Unemployment Rate in South Africa averaged 25.27 percent from 2000 until 2015, reaching an all-time high of 31.20 percent in the first quarter of 2003 and a record low of 21.50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2008. Unemployment Rate in South Africa is reported by the Statistics South Africa.

The jobless rate in South Africa increased to 25.5 percent in the third quarter of 2015 from 25 percent in the previous period. The number of unemployed rose 3.6 percent while employment went up at a slower 1.1 percent and more people joined the labour force.

The number of unemployed persons increased 3.6 percent to 5.4 million in the three months to September from 5.23 million in the previous quarter. Meanwhile, not economically active population declined 1.3 percent to 14.87 million and discouraged work-seekers decreased 8.5 percent to 2.2 million.

Employment rose 1.1 percent quarter-on-quarter to 15.83 million people, the six subsequent quarter of growth. The largest gains were observed in trade (+2.6 percent), construction (+4.2 percent) and agriculture (+3.2 percent). In contrast, job losses were recorded in utilities (-6.7 percent) and transport (-2.6 percent).

In the third quarter of 2015, the labour force participation rate increased to 58.8 percent from 58.1 percent in the previous period.

The expanded definition of unemployment, which includes people who have stopped looking for work slowed to 34.4 percent from 34.9 percent