UASA Media Release: 30 September 2025
Statement by Abigail Moyo, spokesperson of the trade union UASA:
The latest Quarterly Employment Statistics (QES) released by StatsSA highlights the serious challenges facing the South African labour market, particularly the ongoing job crisis and the government’s failure to take decisive action to protect existing jobs while creating new employment opportunities.
UASA emphasises that behind these statistics are breadwinners and families who are being pushed further below the poverty line with every job lost, especially when no new jobs are created to replace them.
With unemployment already one of the leading contributors to hardship, many South Africans are struggling to put food on the table and secure basic necessities.
According to StatsSA, total employment dropped by 80,000 jobs (0.8%) quarter-on-quarter, from 10,589,000 in March 2025 to 10,509,000 in June 2025. This decline was primarily due to decreases in several industries, including community services, trade, manufacturing, construction, transport, and business services.
With South Africa facing an all-time high unemployment rate, UASA strongly condemns the government’s failure to create sustainable jobs. Instead, corruption and mismanagement of state funds continue to undermine State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) and public institutions.
Corruption scandals, such as the ongoing Thembisa Hospital saga, are no longer surprising; they signify a much larger governance crisis. Every rand lost to corruption is a rand that could have been invested in health and job creation.
The ongoing loss of jobs in critical industries is a clear indication that urgent structural reforms, investment in infrastructure, and better management of
state resources are necessary to prevent the economy from collapsing. Without strict interventions, unemployment will likely continue to spiral out of control, exacerbating inequality and threatening social stability.
We cannot depend on temporary solutions that lack sustainable and viable strategies for future growth.
For further enquiries or to set up a personal interview, contact Abigail Moyo at 065 170 0162.