South Africa’s unemployment rate drops slightly to 31.9%

South Africa’s unemployment rate edged down in the third quarter of 2025, helped by job gains in construction, social services, and trade, the national statistics agency said on Tuesday.

According to Statistics South Africa, the official jobless rate fell to 31.9% between July and September, from 33.2% in the previous quarter.

Although the decline marks a modest improvement, unemployment remains above 30% — a level it first crossed…