NATIONAL NEWS - Premier Alan Winde says the Western Cape government is encouraged by the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data released yesterday, which shows that the province still has the lowest unemployment rate in South Africa at 19,6% in Quarter 1 of 2025.
Winde says more people have a chance of getting a job in the Western Cape than anywhere else in South Africa.
For the third consecutive quarter, the Western Cape’s official unemployment rate is below 20% - the only province in South Africa to do so.
The Western Cape has also seen improvements to the Expanded Unemployment Rate (24,7%), Absorption Rate (56%) and its Labour Force Participation Rate (69,6%).
In Quarter 1 of 2025, the Western Cape also recorded the largest increase in employment creating 121 000 jobs year-on-year. This is four times greater than the second highest province, Gauteng, which created 30 000 jobs.
On a yearly basis, South Africa as a whole gained only 43 000 jobs. This means that some other provinces, like the Eastern Cape and KZN, has shed jobs.
Graphic: Stats SA
Over the past ten years, the unemployment rate in the Western Cape has consistently remained below the country’s national average.
Winde says these latest numbers are once again a clear indication that the Western Cape Government’s approach to growing the province's economy is working.
“For yet another quarter, the Western Cape has managed to keep its unemployment rate below 20%.
"This provides the strongest proof yet that our renewed efforts to grow the economy and create jobs are having the desired effect.
"Unfortunately, unemployment remains a stubborn issue.
"We will, however, not let up in implementing our economic growth strategies to keep driving down unemployment in our province. There is still much more work to do,” says Winde.
People re-entering labour force
Western Cape Minister of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Ivan Meyer, says the Western Cape’s Quarter 1 unemployment rate is one of the province's lowest Q1 unemployment rates since 2009.
“The number of ‘not economically active individuals’ in the province has decreased by 42 000, suggesting that people are re-entering the labour force. This is all positive and augurs well for the Western Cape Government's goal to grow the economy to R 1 trillion by 2035, creating thousands of jobs.”
The Western Cape government also welcomes the recent announcement by the Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Parks Tau, to relax regulations around competition in ports and rail sector, saying it’s a much-needed step in the right direction towards returning these vital economic hubs to efficiency.
Winde says initiatives such as the provincial government’s Growth for Jobs plan and Operation Vulindlela, are aimed at attracting more private sector participation.
“It is encouraging to see these kinds of policies increasingly being adopted by national government. As these reforms begin to take effect, we look forward to taking advantage of a healthier national economy to further push down our unemployment rate.”
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