ActionSA has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to review the continued suitability of ministers responsible for employment, trade, small business and infrastructure after South Africa shed 345,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2026.
In a letter to Ramaphosa, ActionSA MP Alan Beesley said the latest quarterly labour force survey showed a deepening unemployment crisis and required urgent accountability from the government.
Stats SA’s figures show the official unemployment rate increased from 31.4% in the fourth quarter of 2025 to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026. The number of employed people fell by 345,000 to 16.8-million, while the number of unemployed people increased by 301,000 to 8.1-million.
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