The Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU) welcomes the positive drop in unemployment announced by Stats SA with the expanded definition of unemployment down by 0.6% to 42.4% and the narrow definition falling by 1.3% to 31.9% for Quarter 3 of 2025.

The increase in employment by 248 000 jobs bringing the total number of working South Africans to over 17.1 million is good news indeed.  The fall in the number of unemployed persons by 360 000 bringing total unemployed persons to 8 million is equally positive.

It is crucial that this critical momentum is maintained and in fact accelerated as we head into the festive season of Quarter 4 where there is normally a spike in employment as the retail and hospitality sectors cater for millions of workers and their families’ end-of-year festivities.  South Africa is long overdue for some good news.

Whilst welcoming nearly a quarter of a million new jobs over the past three months, we dare not be complacent.  A 42.4% unemployment rate remains a dangerous ticking time bomb that cannot be sustained.  Much more needs to be done by the African National Congress led government, in particular to further capacitate the frontline public and municipal services that the working class and businesses depend upon, to inject additional stimulus needed to unlock economic growth including expediting the infrastructure investment programme, and to ramp up public employment programmes and relief for the poor and the unemployed.

Particular support must be provided by the state to struggling businesses and sectors due to the 30% tariff duty imposed on South African exports to the United States, increasingly unaffordable electricity or other economic challenges.  Such support must come in the form of tax relief, industrial subsidies and fixing the mind-numbing delays at the Unemployment Insurance Fund’s Temporary Employment Relief Scheme.

The private sector must be mobilised to end the investment strike and invest in government bonds and critical economic infrastructure as well as the industrial, manufacturing and agricultural jobs rich economic sectors.

Unemployment is the single greatest threat to the nation.  Tackling it must be our collective focus, and every possible resource and intervention mobilised to defeat it.  South Africans do not expect overnight miracles, but we need to see consistent and steady progress, e.g. a fall of unemployment by 1% each quarter.  This will provide the momentum the economy needs and give hope to the working class and society.

Issued by COSATU

Matthew Parks (COSATU Parliamentary Coordinator)

Mobile: 082 785 0687

Email: matthew@cosatu.org.za