North West province becomes first where unemployed outnumber workers

PRETORIA — 1 August 2025

North West province is now the only region in South Africa with more jobless citizens than employed workers, fueling calls for urgent government intervention.

South Africa’s overall unemployment rate rose to 33.2% in Q2 2025, up from 32.9% in Q1 according to Stats SA’s Quarterly Labour Force Survey.

Between April and June, 159,000 people entered the labour market while only 19,000 secured jobs. The remaining 140,000 joined the ranks of the unemployed. (Stats SA)

Discouraged job-seekers—those who stopped searching—declined by 28,000. The expanded unemployment rate dipped slightly to 42.9%. (Stats SA)

North West recorded the nation’s most alarming rates: 40.1% official unemployment and 54.7% expanded unemployment, both figures highest nationally. (Stats SA)

This means unemployed adults and those not seeking work combined outnumber workers in the province, with 14.6% of jobless individuals having abandoned job searches entirely. (Stats SA)