Youth unemployment soars: A call for urgent action
JOHANNESBURG - As we celebrate Youth Month, young people are asking for more chances to find jobs.
This is because the unemployment rate in the country keeps getting worse.
The Department of Labour recently released new statistics showing that the youth unemployment rate is now at a shocking 46.1 percent.
Many young people are not just looking for jobs; they are also trying to gain skills and knowledge for the careers they want to pursue.
The country is sitting with thousands of graduates who are unemployed because they lack work experience.
But how can they get experience if they are not given a chance to work and learn?
According to the Quarterly Labour Force Survey by Statistics South Africa for the first quarter of 2025:
- The number of unemployed youth increased by 151,000, reaching 4.8 million.
- Employed youth decreased by 153,000, now totalling 5.7 million.
- The youth unemployment rate went up from 44.6 percent at the end of 2024 to 46.1 percent in the first quarter of 2025.
Looking at the overall labour market:
- The total number of employed people fell by 291,000, now at 16.8 million.
- The number of unemployed people increased by 237,000, reaching 8.2 million.
- The total labour force decreased by 54,000 during this period.
Additionally:
- Discouraged work-seekers (people who want jobs but have given up looking) increased slightly by 7,000.
- The number of people not working for reasons other than discouragement rose by 177,000, making the total not economically active population grow by 184,000 to 16.7 million.
by Tshenolo Khaile
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