PRETORIA: The number of South Africans out of work rose to 4.723 million in the second quarter of 2013, Statistics South Africa (Stats SA) said on July 30, the highest since the agency started the survey in 2008.

South Africa’s unemployment rate rose to 25.6 percent of the labour force in the second quarter of 2013, compared with 25.2 per cent in the first quarter, according to Stats SA.

In its Quarterly Labour Force Survey, Stats SA said this amounted to 4.7 million people without work in the second quarter, up from 4.6 million jobless in the previous three months.

South Africa’s unemployment rate has been stuck around 25 per cent for the past several years and is one of the biggest headaches for President Jacob Zuma’s ruling African National Congress as the country heads into elections next year.

The expanded definition of unemployment, which includes people who have stopped looking for work, was at 36.8 per cent from 36.7 per cent previously.

(REUTERS)