Unemployment stats: Good news as more than 200 000 jobs gained in SA

Loading player...
Risenga Maluleke - Stats SA statistician-general talks about Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) released the results of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) on Tuesday for the third quarter of 2022 with a strong and positive outlook.

Between the second and third quarter of 2022, 204 000 jobs were gained. The total number of people employed in South Africa was 15.8 million in the third quarter of 2022.

The number of unemployed people decreased by 269 000 to 7.7 million.
The number of discouraged work-seekers also decreased by 54 000 to 3.5 million when compared to the previous quarter.
The number of people who were not economically active for reasons other than discouragement increased by 264 000 between the two quarters resulting in a net increase of 210 000 in the not economically active population.
Unemployement rate decreases by 1%
The QLFS results from Stats SA showed the official unemployment rate decreasing by 1.0 percentage point from 33.9% in the second quarter of 2022 to 32.9% in the third quarter.
The unemployment rate according to the expanded definition of unemployment also decreased by 1.0 percentage point to 43.1% in the third quarter.
The manufacturing (123 000), trade (82 000), construction (46 000) and transport (33 000) industries recorded the largest job gains, while job losses were recorded in finance (80 000), private households (36 000) as well as mining and agriculture (1 000) each.
Sectors that recorded job increases were the formal and informal with 235 000 and 6 000 respectively.
29 Nov 2022 1PM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

Rustenburg mayor raises alarm over rise in illegal mining

Rustenburg Executive Mayor Sheila Mabale-Huma has raised concerns over the growing threat of illegal mining in the North West town. Her warning follows the deaths of 14 illegal miners and injuries to scores of others at a disused mine in Nkaneng near Rustenburg. The incident has again highlighted the dangerous…
19 Aug 2PM 10 min

South Africans Under Pressure: Inside the Q2 2026 Debt Index

DebtBusters’ Benay Sager breaks down the latest Debt Index, revealing consumers still using 64% of their income to service debt, with high earners needing 103% just to stay afloat. We unpack the surge in unsecured credit, cost‑of‑living shocks, multi‑lender borrowing, and why debt counselling outcomes are improving despite rising financial…
19 Aug 1PM 8 min

DRDGOLD’s Big Year: Earnings Surge & Vision 2028 Takes Shape

DRDGOLD CEO Niël Pretorius unpacks a standout FY2026 performance, with revenue up 42%, operating profit up 83%, and major Vision 2028 infrastructure coming online. We explore production stability, the company’s debt‑free position, dividend uplift, and how new assets like the Daggafontein TSF and DP2 expansion reshape future output.
19 Aug 1PM 15 min

SA Consumer Price Inflation slows to 4.3% in July

Nedbank Economist Isaac Matshego breaks down South Africa’s July CPI print, which eased to 4.3% as fuel prices softened and goods inflation cooled. We unpack the drivers behind the slowdown, the stubborn pressure from housing and utilities, and what this means for consumer wallets heading into the September MPC meeting…
19 Aug 12PM 16 min

Leaky Pipelines & Broken Rungs: Fixing Gender Gaps in Investments

PPS Investments’ Fran Troskie breaks down why asset management still struggles with gender parity — from caregiving burdens to promotion barriers, wage gaps, and murky leadership pathways. A candid Women’s Month conversation on redesigning the industry for true inclusion.
18 Aug 1PM 16 min