THE unemployment rate in eThekwini municipality saw a 5% drop from the prior year’s results, recording the lowest rate among South Africa’s major cities. The drop is in contrast with the national unemployment rate that climbed up to 33.6% in the second quarter of the year.

Also read: Career expo strikes the right chords

Statistics South Africa’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey showed that from April to June 2026, eThekwini’s unemployment rate fell to 21.2%, down from 26.8% a year prior. This 5.6 percentage-point decrease was the most significant reduction seen in any of the country’s metros. eThekwini’s figure edged out Cape Town’s 21.9% and is a stark contrast to the national unemployment rate.

Notable stats

These latest numbers suggest a noticeable improvement in job availability within the city. 

• The number of employed residents rose to 1.29 million, an increase of 90 000 compared with Q2 2025.
• Over the same period, unemployed residents fell by 92 000 to 347 000, making eThekwini the only metro to record declines both quarter‑on‑quarter and year‑on‑year.
• The City’s absorption rate (share of working‑age residents in employment) climbed to 46.9% from 44.2% a year earlier, the largest improvement of any metro.
• Growth was concentrated in the formal sector, which employed 948 000 people in Q2, up 32 000 from the previous quarter.

Always striving to improve

Mayor Cyril Xaba said that these figures suggest the city’s initiatives to enhance its investment climate are starting to lead to more employment opportunities. 

“These figures show that the fundamentals we have been working on which includes infrastructure, investment facilitation and support for the industrial and tourism sectors, are translating into jobs for our residents. We do not read this as a finish line. More than 340 000 people in this city are still looking for work, and our absorption rate must go higher. But the direction of travel is correct, and we intend to sustain it,” said Xaba. 

The municipality emphasised that unemployment remains a major challenge for its residents. It plans to continue prioritising infrastructure investment, supporting small businesses and strengthening collaborations with the private sector to create more job opportunities. 

For more Southlands Sun news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.

Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter and get news delivered straight to your inbox.