- Significant Employment Growth in Eastern Cape: The province added 89,000 jobs in Q2 2025, indicating a robust recovery and second only to Gauteng in job creation according to the latest Labour Force Survey.
- Key Sectors Contributing to Job Gains: The main sectors driving employment increases include trade (+59,000), private households (+20,000), construction (+21,000), and agriculture (+21,000), offsetting losses in other sectors.
- Slight Rise in Unemployment Rate: Despite job growth, the unemployment rate increased slightly from 39.3% to 39.5%, due to a growing labour force and job creation mainly in select sectors.
The Eastern Cape Provincial Government has welcomed the latest Quarter 2 Labour Force Survey results released by Statistics South Africa on 13 August 2025. The survey shows a significant employment increase of 89,000 jobs in the province second only to Gauteng which recorded 95,000.
Key sectors that contributed to this growth include: Trade: +59,000 jobs, Private Households (Domestic Work): +20,000 jobs, Construction: +21,000 jobs and Agriculture: +21,000 jobs
While these sectors showed strong growth, there were job losses in Community and Social Services and Transport. However, the gains especially in trade and domestic work offset these losses, resulting in a net positive employment outcome for the province.
Despite the job growth, the unemployment rate rose slightly, from 39.3% to 39.5%. This minor increase is linked to multiple factors: a growing working-age population,more people actively entering the labour market, new jobs being created mainly in a few sectors, not across the board
The data indicates progress, but also shows that current job creation levels are not yet enough to reduce unemployment significantly, especially with more people seeking work.
The Eastern Cape Government says it remains focused on inclusive economic growth, with ongoing interventions including: job creation and skills development initiatives, infrastructure investment and development, partnerships with the private sector, plans for re-industrialisation, localisation, and improved competitiveness
