South African unemployment rises above 33%

South Africa’s unemployment rate increased to a year-high in the second quarter, as agriculture, finance and the community and social service sectors lost jobs while more people looked for work.

The jobless rate increased to 33.2% in the three months through June, compared with 32.9% in the prior quarter, according to data released by Statistics South Africa in the capital, Pretoria, on Tuesday. The median estimate of three economists in a Bloomberg survey was 32.9%.

The rise in unemployed people – now at 8.4 million – is the latest blow to South Africa’s already battered economy, which is confronting a number of challenges, including US trade tariffs that came into force on Aug 7.

President Donald Trump has imposed levies of 30% on South African exports to the US, which will stay unless Pretoria can strike a deal with Washington.

Trade Minister Parks Tau has said that 30,000 jobs are at risk from the tariffs, with the key automotive and agricultural industries most vulnerable.

Most jobs were shed in the community and social services, finance, agriculture and transport sectors.

Overall, the number of work-seekers who weren’t economically active decreased by 28,000 to 16.6 million.