Youth unemployment remains a crisis in South Africa.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey shows that gender gaps persist in the labour market. The official unemployment rate for women stands at 35.9%, higher than men at 31.0%, with Black African women experiencing the highest unemployment at 40.2%. Women are disproportionately concentrated in lower-paying and less secure sectors such as community and social services, trade and domestic work, sectors that, while critical, often lack career progression opportunities. Only 6.8% of managerial positions are held by women compared to 10.7% for men. ‘These patterns, combined with systemic barriers to hiring and advancement, mean that women, particularly young Black women, face a steeper climb in accessing decent work. This highlights the need for targeted support that prioritises young women’s access to sustainable employment,’ says Buhlebethu Magwaza, Project Lead at advocacy campaign Youth Capital.
Young people are stuck.
Youth unemployment in South Africa remains entrenched and alarmingly high, with the expanded rate of unemployment for the young people between the ages of 15 and 34 years old sitting at 55.8%. The rate of young people not in education, employment or training shows that targeted support is urgently needed. The NEET rate for youth aged 15 – 24 remains unchanged at 35.2%, meaning that over 3.6 million young people in this age group are not in employment, education, or training. ‘This stagnation underscores that without targeted interventions, millions of young people will remain excluded from economic opportunities, risking permanent detachment from the labour market and widening inequality. The challenge is compounded by long-term unemployment, with 76.6% of unemployed people having been without work for a year or longer, making re-entry into employment increasingly difficult,’ adds Magwaza.
Labour Force Participation vs Absorption Rate
While South Africa’s labour force participation rate inched up to 60.2% in Q2 2025, the absorption rate remains much lower at 40.3%, showing that only two in five working-age South Africans are actually employed. Among young people, the gap is even starker: participation is high, but job creation is not keeping pace. ‘It means that there is urgency to focus on youth employment strategies that address both the quantity and quality of jobs, invest in skills development and energise the local economies. We need to create targeted pathways for women and long-term unemployed youth to access decent, sustainable work’ adds Magwaza.
