The Department of Employment and Labour has called for urgent and coordinated action to address South Africa’s worsening employment crisis, following the release of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the second quarter of 2026.
The survey, released by Statistics South Africa on Tuesday, paints a challenging picture of the labour market, with the department warning that structural constraints, sluggish investment and low labour absorption capacity continue to limit employment opportunities.
In a statement on Wednesday, the department said the findings were a “sobering reality check”, highlighting the growing gap between the number of people entering the labour market and the availability of jobs.
“The cruel arithmetic is unforgiving: far too many new entrants are flooding the labour market, yet far too few opportunities exist to absorb them, steadily deepening the nation's employment deficit,” the department said.
Turbulent global economic conditions and heightened uncertainty were placing further pressure on the domestic economy and employment outlook, the department said.
Of particular concern is the continued exclusion of young people from the labour market, which the department described as a national emergency requiring urgent and coordinated intervention.
Against this backdrop, the department said job creation remains government’s “apex priority”.
“Meaningful, sustainable outcomes demand a synchronised assault on unemployment, a whole-of-government and whole-of-society coalition that bridges economic, industrial, skills development and social policy institutions,” the department said.
The department emphasised that addressing unemployment requires stronger cooperation across all three spheres of government, as well as meaningful participation from the private sector.
Provincial and local governments, in particular, have been urged to play a greater role in driving local economic development, unlocking municipal-level investment and ensuring employment initiatives respond to regional needs.
The department said it would strengthen coordination between government and business, as well as among national, provincial and local government, to ensure employment creation becomes a core priority across all spheres.
It will also conduct a detailed assessment of the sectors hardest hit by employment losses to identify where interventions are most urgently required.
The department further called for the acceleration and consolidation of existing labour market and economic reforms, including Operation Vulindlela, the Presidential Employment Stimulus and Active Labour Market Policies.
“Flagship intervention, Operation Vulindlela, the Presidential Employment Stimulus and our suite of Active Labour Market Policies (ALMPs) must be supercharged, scaled up decisively and sharpened into effective drivers of inclusive growth.
“These are not mere acronyms; they are our frontline weapons against unemployment. However, they can only succeed if deployed with coherence, speed and relentless accountability and if every tier of government plays its part,” the department said.
The department said employment initiatives must be implemented through a coordinated approach involving national departments, provincial administrations and municipalities to deliver sustainable results.
“We must move with the urgency this crisis demands for the sake of every young person waiting for a foothold in the economy and for the future of our nation,” the department said. – SAnews.gov.za
