248 000 new jobs in South Africa mask massive losses in these sectors
The biggest winner is the Construction industry in South Africa, which soared by 130 000 jobs, marking a 10.3% quarter-to-quarter increase.
Employment surged by 248 000 jobs across South Africa during quarter three of 2025, raising the total number of employed persons to 17.1 million.
However, this national gain masks major sectorial declines, with four key industries shedding tens of thousands of jobs, highlighting the uneven recovery detailed in the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).
According to Stats SA’s QLFS results for the period July to September 2025, overall employment increased by 1.5% compared to the previous quarter. This positive movement was largely attributed to strong growth in six of the ten measured industries.
However, the report also shows that some critical parts of the economy failed to keep pace, confirming fears of vulnerability in key established sectors.
Construction employment powers South African economy
The biggest winner in terms of job creation is the Construction industry, which soared by 130 000 employed persons, marking a 10.3% quarter-to-quarter increase. Substantial gains were also recorded in the Community and Social Services sectors, (116 000) and the Trade sector (108 000). These three sectors accounted for the majority of the quarter’s employment growth.
Manufacturing and Finance Hit Hard
Conversely, the data paints a gloomy picture for traditionally industrial and financial areas. The Manufacturing sector suffered the largest blow, losing 62 000 jobs, followed closely by the Finance industry, which shed 54 000 employed persons. The Utilities sector also took a severe hit, decreasing by 30 000 jobs, while Transport recorded a minor loss of 3 000 jobs between Q2 2025 and Q3 2025.
The national increase of 248 000 jobs contributed to a 1.3 percentage point decrease in the official unemployment rate, dropping it to 31.9%. While the dip in unemployment is welcome news, the widespread declines across four key industries suggest economic volatility remains a core challenge, especially in high-value sectors like Manufacturing and Finance.
Employment by Industry in South Africa: Q3 2025
The table below shows the employment figures and quarter-to-quarter changes (in thousands) by industry for Q3 2025 compared to Q2 2025:
| Industry | Jul-Sep 2024 | Apr-Jun 2025 | Jul-Sep 2025 | Qtr-to-qtr change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total* | 16 946 | 16 807 | 17 055 | 248 |
| Agriculture | 935 | 906 | 920 | 14 |
| Mining | 484 | 434 | 449 | 16 |
| Manufacturing | 1 635 | 1 672 | 1 610 | -62 |
| Utilities | 127 | 139 | 109 | -30 |
| Construction | 1 381 | 1 259 | 1 390 | 130 |
| Trade | 3 469 | 3 315 | 3 424 | 108 |
| Transport | 1 047 | 1 115 | 1 113 | -3 |
| Finance | 2 716 | 2 983 | 2 930 | -54 |
| Community and social services | 4 021 | 3 872 | 3 988 | 116 |
| Private households | 1 128 | 1 106 | 1 111 | 5 |
*Note: Total includes ‘Other’ industries. Due to rounding, numbers do not necessarily add up to totals, according to Stats SA.