Formal non-agricultural employment falls by 14,000 in second quarter

South Africa’s formal non-agricultural sector lost 14,000 jobs in the second quarter of 2026, according to Statistics South Africa figures reported by the SABC on Tuesday, 29 September.

Employment declined from 10.439 million in March to 10.425 million in June. That represents a quarterly decline of 0.1%, Reuters reported.

The SABC identified manufacturing, business services, trade and transport as the sectors recording the largest decreases. Compared with June 2025, total employment covered by the survey was down by 95,000.

Stats SA’s director of Quarterly Employment Statistics, Matlapane Masupye, said full-time employment had fallen by 96,000 over that 12-month period, according to the broadcaster.

Part-time employment moved in the opposite direction during the latest quarter, increasing by 26,000 from 1.069 million in March to 1.095 million in June.

The reported part-time gains included 32,000 in community services, 4,000 in business services, 2,000 in electricity and 1,000 in transport. These were partly offset by decreases of 10,000 in manufacturing, 2,000 in construction and 1,000 in trade.

Nedbank economists linked the employment weakness to softer economic activity during the quarter, particularly in manufacturing and trade, Reuters reported.

The figures come from the Quarterly Employment Statistics survey, which covers formal employment outside agriculture. They are not a count of everyone working in South Africa and do not represent a new unemployment-rate estimate.

Stats SA measures the broader labour market through the separate Quarterly Labour Force Survey. That survey covers employment across industries and sectors and supplies information about unemployment.

Sources: SABC report on Channel Africa; Reuters via MarketScreener; Statistics South Africa; Statistics South Africa.