The South African Department of Employment and Labour has reported that 33,600 job seekers were placed in employment and other opportunities during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year. This development comes as the country's unemployment rate has climbed to 33.6%, its highest level in four years. According to the department, the placements included formal jobs, apprenticeships, project opportunities, and training opportunities.
The Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Northern Cape, and Western Cape provinces all recorded varying numbers of placements. Limpopo had the highest number of placements at 8,688, followed by Gauteng with 7,238. In contrast, the North West province had the lowest number of placements at 1,607. These figures were disclosed in a parliamentary response to questions posed by MK Party MP Siyabonga Percival Mkhize.
Mkhize had questioned Employment and Labour Minister Nomakhosazana Meth on the interventions implemented by her department to create permanent and sustainable employment. The minister revealed that more than 456,000 unemployed job seekers were registered on the department's Employment Services of South Africa (Essa) system during the first quarter. Counselling services were provided to 144,104 work seekers during this period.
The department's Essa system plays a crucial role in connecting job seekers with employment opportunities. In the 2026/27 financial year, the department aims to place 75,000 work seekers into employment opportunities. Additionally, it targets creating 1-million work opportunities as part of its Medium-Term Development Plan (MTDP) target, plus a further 1-million by its entities.
However, the country's unemployment rate continues to rise. According to Stats SA's Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the second quarter of 2026, the official unemployment rate increased from 32.7% in the first quarter to 33.6%. This represents an increase of 345,000 unemployed people to 8.5-million, while the number of employed people decreased by 16,000 to 16.7-million.
Young people are disproportionately affected by the unemployment crisis. The number of unemployed people aged between 15 and 34 years old increased by 264,000 to 5-million between the first and second quarters. The youth unemployment rate increased by 1.5 percentage points to 47.4%, while the number of employed young people declined by 40,000 to 5.6-million.
The department's public employment services are offered free of charge and funded through its overall budget. For the 2026/27 financial year, it will target placing 75,000 work seekers into employment opportunities and creating a further 130,000 job opportunities through its partnership with the National Pathway Management Network. The first-quarter figure of 33,600 represents about 45% of its annual target.
Key points
- The South African unemployment rate has reached 33.6%, its highest level in four years.
- The Department of Employment and Labour placed 33,600 job seekers in employment and other opportunities during the first quarter of the 2026/27 financial year.
- Young people are disproportionately affected by the unemployment crisis, with a youth unemployment rate of 47.4%.
