Unemployment rate drops to 23.3% in the Q2

South Africa’s unemployment rate fell to 23.3% in the second quarter from 30.1% in the first quarter as a strict coronavirus lockdown saw fewer people actively looking for employment, distorting the labour force numbers, the national statistics agency said on Tuesday.

“It is because for someone to be unemployed they have to be actively looking for employment … During ‘Stage 5’ and ‘Stage 4’ (of the lockdown) many did not continue looking for employment so they can not be classified as unemployed,” Statistician General Risenga Maluleke said.