SA’s deepening jobs crisis – Understanding the Q2 2025 Employment Decline.
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South Africa shed 229,000 formal jobs year-on-year in Q2 2025, with community services, manufacturing, and trade hit hardest, while mining and electricity saw modest gains. Quarter-on-quarter, the economy lost 80,000 jobs, marking the third consecutive decline in formal employment.
Despite the job losses, average monthly earnings rose 3.4% over the quarter, reflecting higher pay for those remaining employed. Labour analyst Michael Bagraim discusses the drivers behind the ongoing jobs crisis, the sectors most affected, and what these trends mean for the economy in the months ahead.
Despite the job losses, average monthly earnings rose 3.4% over the quarter, reflecting higher pay for those remaining employed. Labour analyst Michael Bagraim discusses the drivers behind the ongoing jobs crisis, the sectors most affected, and what these trends mean for the economy in the months ahead.
