Quarterly employment stats confirm 74,000 job losses in formal sector

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Stats SA attributed these results to decreases in the following industries: trade (-52,000 or -2.2%), community services (-17,000 or -0.6%), mining (-4,000 or -0.9%), business services (-1,000 or 0.0%), construction (-1,000 or -0.2%) and electricity (-1,000 or -1.6%), while transport industry remain unchanged. However, manufacturing increased by 2,000 or 0.2%.

It further highlighted a year-on-year decrease in total employment of 95,000 or -0.9% between March 2024 and March 2025.

Full-time employment

Stats SA detailed the full-time employment decrease of 55,000 or -0.6% quarter-on-quarter, from 9,503,000 in December 2024 to 9,448,000 in March 2025:

• trade (34,000 or -1.6%)
• business services (-11,000 or -0.5%)
• community services (-10,000 or -0.4%)
• mining (-4,000 or -0.9%)
• electricity (-1,000 or -1.6%)

Manufacturing and transport remain unchanged, while the construction industry reported a 5,000 or 0.9% increase.

Full-time employment decreased by 40,000 or -0.4% year-on-year between March 2024 and March 2025.

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Part-time employment

The report's key findings highlighted the part-time employment decrease of 19,000 or -1,7% quarter-on-quarter, from 1,150,000 in December 2024 to 1,131,000 in March 2025 - attributed to:

• trade (-18,000 or -6.9%)
• community services (-7,000 or -1.4%)
• construction (-6,000 or -8.3%)

However, there were increases reported by business services (10,000 or 4.4%) and manufacturing (2,000 or 2.4%); while electricity and transport remain unchanged.

Year-on-year, part-time employment decreased by 55,000 or -4.6% between March 2024 and March 2025.

Earnings and salaries

Stats SA also reported the following earnings and salary data:

Gross earnings paid to employees decreased by R47.3bn or -4,6% from R1.03tn in December 2024 to R983.1bn in March 2025. This was due to decreases in the following industries: community services, manufacturing, trade, construction, transport, electricity and mining. However, business services reported an increase.

Year-on-year gross earnings increased by R26.1bn or 2.7% between March 2024 and March 2025.

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Basic salary/wages paid to employees decreased by R9.4bn or -1.1% from R890bn in December 2024 to R881bn in March 2025. This was due to decreases in the following industries: community services, trade, manufacturing, construction, business services, transport and mining. However, electricity reported an increase.

Year-on-year basic salary/wages increased by R33.1bn or 3.9% between March 2024 and March 2025.

Average monthly earnings paid to employees decreased by 0.1% from R28,316 in November 2024 to R28,289 in February 2025. Year-on-year average monthly earnings paid to employees increased by 5.6% between February 2024 and February 2025.

Cutting bonuses and overtime

Bonuses paid to employees decreased by R36.5bn or -32.5% from R112bn in December 2024 to R75.8bn in March 2025. This was due to decreases in the following industries: community services, manufacturing, trade, construction, transport and electricity; while business services reported an increase.

Year-on-year bonus payments decreased by R5.7bn or -6.9% between March 2024 and March 2025.

Overtime paid to employees decreased by R1.4bn or -5.1% from R27.7bn in December 2024 to R26.3bn in March 2025. This was due to decreases in the following industries: business services, manufacturing, construction, transport and trade, while electricity remains unchanged. However, community services, showed an increase.

Year-on-year overtime payments decreased by R1.3bn or -4.7% between March 2024 and March 2025.