South Africa's unemployment rate stood at 24.3% in the December quarter, down from 24.5% in the previous quarter, Statistics South Africa reported on Tuesday. The number of unemployed persons in the country totaled 4.17 million, slightly lower than 4.19 million recorded three months ago.
At the same time, the number of employed persons increased slightly to 12.97 million from 12.89 million. The number of people registered in the labor force stood at 17.14 million, up from 17.08 million a quarter ago.
Statistics South Africa also said that the labor force participation rate was unchanged at 54.8%.
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June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.