South Africa’s jobs lottery: Who is finding work – and who is being left behind?
Where you live is a major factor in whether you will find and retain employment, with this province recording the highest employment retention rate at 93.9%.
South Africa’s employment count surged by 248 000 persons in the third quarter of 2025, bringing the total number of employed citizens to 17.1 million. This national gain helped pull the official unemployment rate down by 1.3 percentage points to 31.9%.
However, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) data reveals that this recovery is deeply uneven, masking massive job losses in key industrial sectors and provinces.
While the construction industry added a staggering 130 000 jobs, the manufacturing and finance sectors were hit hard, shedding 62 000 and 54 000 positions respectively. For those currently looking for a job, the odds of success depend heavily on education, location, and past experience.
South Africa jobs lottery winners
Data from the latest Labour Market Dynamics report confirms that those with tertiary education have a significant advantage. Graduates recorded a 7.5% transition rate into employment, whereas those without matric managed only 4.8%.
Experience is equally crucial; individuals with a prior work history have a 9.8% chance of finding a new job in South Africa, compared to a dismal 2.6% for those entering the market for the first time. Adults aged 35-64 are also transitioning into work at higher rates (7.3%) than youth (4.3%), who remain the most vulnerable group in the country.
| Factor | Higher Likelihood of Finding Work | Lower Likelihood of Finding Work |
|---|---|---|
| Education | Tertiary Qualification (7.5%) | Below Matric (4.8%) |
| Experience | With Work Experience (9.8%) | No Work Experience (2.6%) |
| Age | Adults 35-64 (7.3%) | Youth 15-34 (4.3%) |
| Duration | Short-term Unemployed (17.5%) | Long-term Unemployed (7.4%) |
Sources: Stats SA Labour Market Dynamics & QLFS Q3 2025
Geography of the job hunt
Where you live is a major factor in whether you will find and retain employment. The Western Cape recorded the highest employment retention rate at 93.9%, while the Eastern Cape continues to hold South Africa back. The coastal province was the only one to shed jobs in Q3 2025, losing 53 000 positions and seeing its unemployment rate skyrocket to 41.2%.
In contrast, Limpopo delivered a quiet victory with the highest real growth rate in the country at 0.9% for 2024, proving that surprises can come from unexpected regions.
Ultimately, the hard truth is that the longer someone remains unemployed in South Africa, the harder it becomes to escape. Persons in short-term unemployment have a 17.5% chance of finding work, but that drops to just 7.4% for those who have been out of the loop for more than a year.