Two South African provinces now have more unemployed residents than employed ones, according to a report from businesstech.co.za. The report highlights a deepening jobs crisis in these regions, where the share of people without work has surpassed the share of those with jobs.
The development comes as South Africa's national unemployment rate climbed to 33.6%, a figure reported by Daily Maverick. That outlet attributed the rise, in part, to the economic fallout from the Iran war. The national picture shows a labour market under strain, with the latest quarterly data reflecting the pressures facing households and businesses alike.
The provincial figures underscore a stark divide within the country. While some areas may be holding up better, the two provinces in question have crossed a troubling threshold: more working-age adults are jobless than employed. businesstech.co.za did not name the two provinces in the headline summary, but the report signals that the problem is concentrated in specific parts of the country.
Other coverage adds context to the broader jobs picture. eNCA reported that the farming sector still supports more than 900,000 jobs, even after a quarterly decline. That suggests agriculture remains a key employer, though it is not immune to the wider slowdown. Meanwhile, the Mail & Guardian has argued that South Africa needs an economy capable of generating jobs, a point echoed by labour federation COSATU, which called the worsening unemployment crisis a "ticking time bomb" in comments reported by EWN.
What to watch next: whether the provinces with unemployment above 50% see any policy response, and whether the national rate continues to climb in the next quarterly release.
