South Africa’s unemployment rate has gone up by 0.1%.

The unemployment rate for the third quarter of 2019 is 29.1%, having risen by 0.1 of a percentage point from the second quarter.

In the third quarter, there were 6.7 million people that were unemployed, while the working age population in the household survey was at 38.6 million in the third quarter.

According to the data, over the last 10 years, the unemployment rate has increased by 4.6% between the third quarter of 2009 and the third quarter of 2019.

Meanwhile, the working age population (16 to 64) increased by 149,000 people between the second and third quarter.

Labour market rates varied significantly depending on one’s education level. Those with less than matric are sitting at 34.4% having decreased by 0.1% and those with matric are sitting with 29.8%. Those who are graduates are sitting at 8.2% and ‘other tertiary’ at 19.1%.

Youth unemployment

In terms of unemployment and age, those aged 15 to 24 years have the highest unemployment rate – higher than any other age sitting at 58.2% with 55 to 64, their unemployment rate is sitting at 9.9%.

Meanwhile, approximately 3.3 million out of 10.3 million young people aged 15 to 24 were not in employment.