JOHANNESBURG, March 31 (Xinhua) -- South Africa recorded a modest increase in employment in the fourth quarter of 2025, with total jobs rising by 18,000 to reach 10.55 million in December, according to data released by Statistics South Africa on Tuesday.
The quarterly gain of 0.2 percent was driven mainly by growth in the trade sector, which added 37,000 jobs, and business services, which increased by 17,000 jobs, the agency said.
However, employment declined in several industries during the same period. The construction sector shed 13,000 jobs, manufacturing lost 11,000 positions, while community services, transport and mining also recorded smaller contractions.
Despite the quarterly improvement, total employment remained lower than a year earlier, falling by 102,000 jobs compared with December 2024.
Full-time employment increased by 14,000 jobs to 9.43 million over the quarter, while part-time employment rose by 4,000 to 1.12 million, supported mainly by gains in trade and business services.
The agency said that South Africa continues to face elevated unemployment pressures, with employment trends closely watched as indicators of broader economic recovery momentum. ■
