SA official unemployment rate hits record high of 32.6%

Stats SA announced on Tuesday that joblessness has hit a record high, following a small increase to 32.6% compared with the last quarter of 2020.

Unemployment is still highest in the Eastern Cape.

The number of unemployed people in South Africa increased by about 8,000, with about 7.2 million people without work. The stats have also been affected by new jobseekers joining the market from school and tertiary institutions.

According to the expanded definition of unemployment, joblessness increased by 0.6 of a percentage point to 43.2% in the first quarter of 2021 compared with the final quarter of 2020.

Take a look at some of the other leading stats below.