• Unemployment among South Africans aged 15–24 rose to 62.4% in Q1 2025
• Total youth jobless rate (15–34) reached 46.1%, up 9.2 points in 10 years
• Nearly 1.9 million young people stopped looking for work, Stats SA reports

South Africa is facing a growing unemployment crisis among its young population. According to data published by Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) on May 13, the unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 climbed to 62.4% in the first quarter of 2025. This marks a sharp rise from 50.3% in the same period in 2015, and up from 59.7% in Q1 2024.

For those aged 25 to 34, the unemployment rate rose from 31.4% in 2015 to 40.4% in Q1 2025. Overall, the jobless rate among all youth aged 15 to 34 stands at 46.1%, an increase of 9.2 percentage points over the last decade. Stats SA noted that young women are more affected than men.

In the same quarter, about 1.9 million young people between 15 and 34 were classified as discouraged job seekers, meaning they are no longer actively looking for work. In comparison, 1.5 million discouraged job seekers were between 35 and 64. Stats SA said this reflects how young people, due to lack of experience and limited opportunities, are more likely to give up on job hunting.

South Africa has around 20.9 million people aged 15 to 34. Among them, those aged 15 to 24, about 10.3 million individuals, face the greatest difficulty finding work.

At the national level, South Africa’s official unemployment rate rose from 31.9% in Q4 2024 to 32.9% in Q1 2025.

The high unemployment rate is tied to regional inequalities, gender gaps, and a lack of work experience among young people. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) also links it to a drop in real income per person and widespread poverty. South Africa remains one of the most unequal countries in the world.

To address the crisis, the government launched the Unemployment Insurance Fund Labor Activation Program (LAP) in April 2024. The plan includes a $1.3 billion investment aimed at creating jobs in sectors like agriculture, ICT, construction, engineering, manufacturing, education, transport, and mining.

Stats SA also reported that among the 4.8 million unemployed youth in Q1 2025, nearly 58.7% said they had no previous work experience.