Unemployment rate down slightly in Q2

South Africa’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 32.6% in the second quarter of this year from 32.9% in the first quarter, reaching its lowest since the first quarter of 2021, data showed on Tuesday.

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Statistics South Africa said the number of unemployed people was 7.921 million in the second quarter versus 7.933 million in the first quarter.

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Analysts had predicted the official unemployment rate would remain at 32.9% in the second three months of the year.

According to an expanded definition of unemployment that includes those discouraged from seeking work, 42.1% of the labour force was jobless in April-June compared with 42.4% in January-March.