Unemployment among women rises to 4 million
As South Africa continues to mark Women’s Month, the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) reveals a troubling increase in unemployment among women.
The number of unemployed women rose by over 90,000, reaching a total of 4.1 million in the first quarter of the year.
Simultaneously, the number of employed women decreased by 28,000, bringing the total to 7.4 million.
As a result, the women’s unemployment rate increased from 35.2% in the first quarter to 35.8% in the second quarter.
Dihlolelo Phoshoko, Director of Labour Statistics, says women in South Africa continue to bear a disproportionate burden of unemployment, underemployment, and lower workforce participation compared to men.
“This disparity is partly due to women being more likely to take on household duties, child-rearing, and other responsibilities that limit their opportunities in the labour market.
“Trends in labour force participation and absorption rates from 2014 to 2024 show that fewer women have been participating in the labour market compared to men,” says Phoshoko.
Phoshoko also highlights that men consistently reported higher absorption rates than women between 2014 and 2024.
“The absorption rate for women remained below 40%, declining by 1.1 percentage points from 36.9% in the second quarter of 2014 to 35.8% in the second quarter of 2024.
“The highest absorption rate for women was 38.3%, recorded in the first quarter of 2017.
“Absorption rates for women declined across all education levels between Q2:2014 and Q2:2024, with more significant drops observed among those with other tertiary qualifications,” adds Phoshoko.
“In contrast, the absorption rate for men rose from 48.7% in the second quarter of 2014 to a peak of 50.4% in the fourth quarter of 2015, before declining to 44.9% in the second quarter of 2024.
“Although labour force participation has improved, the findings indicate that labour absorption has worsened compared to a decade ago,” Phoshoko says.
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