South Africa Loses 74,000 Jobs in Early 2025 – What It Means
Key Insight: In the first quarter of 2025, South Africa lost 74,000 jobs. That’s a decline of 0.9% compared to the previous quarter, and 0.7% compared to the same time last year.
Where Jobs Were Lost
Sector Jobs Lost in Q1:2025 Year-on-Year Change
Trade -52,000 +8,000
Community Services -17,000 -80,000
Mining -4,000 -14,000
Electricity -1,000 -1,000
Construction -1,000 +6,000
Transport 0 -8,000
Business Services -2,000 +17,000
Manufacturing +2,000 -23,000
Sectors hit hardest: Trade, community services, mining
Sectors showing some resilience: Business services, construction
Income Trends: What’s Happening with Salaries?
Total earnings dropped by R47.3 billion in the first quarter.
Bonuses fell by R36.5 billion
Basic salaries dropped by R9.4 billion
Overtime payments down by R1.4 billion
Average Monthly Earnings
In February 2025, average earnings were R28,289, slightly lower than in November 2024.
Still, this is 5.6% higher than February 2024.
Which sectors had biggest earnings change?
Community Services: +10.5%
Business Services: +2.5%
Others were in between, with moderate increases or slight declines.
Why This Matters
Many sectors are shedding jobs or paying less.
Households might find it harder to stretch their income, especially with food and fuel prices still elevated.
Workers in part-time and lower-wage jobs are especially vulnerable.
The data signals ongoing economic pressure even as some sectors try to stabilise.