Business
Who Is Most Likely to Find a Job in South Africa Right Now
Finding a job in South Africa has never been just about effort or motivation. Where you live, what you studied, how old you are, and whether you have worked before all quietly stack the odds either in your favour or against you. New analysis from Stats SA pulls back the curtain on who is most likely to move into employment and why the labour market feels tougher even for those who already have jobs.
The job market is moving more than it used to
Looking at the same individuals over time between 2019 and 2024, Stats SA tracked how people moved between being employed, unemployed, or not economically active. On paper, employment retention still looks strong. Most people who had jobs kept them. But the stability that once defined the market has slipped.
In 2019, nearly 94 percent of employed people stayed employed from one quarter to the next. By 2024, that figure had fallen to just under 92 percent. It might seem small, but in a country with millions of workers, that shift signals growing uncertainty and movement beneath the surface.
The same pattern shows up among unemployed South Africans. Fewer people remain stuck in the same category quarter to quarter. This does not always mean good news. It often reflects people cycling between short spells of work and unemployment rather than finding lasting security.
Education still changes everything
If there is one lever that consistently improves your chances, it is education. Adults with tertiary qualifications are far more likely to move into employment than those without matric. Stats SA’s data shows that people with higher education qualifications had significantly stronger transition rates into jobs than those who did not finish school.
This matters in a country where young people often feel pressure to take any work available. The data suggests that delaying entry into the job market to study further, when possible, still pays off over time.
Experience opens doors that CVs alone cannot
Work experience remains one of the strongest predictors of employment success. People who have worked before are almost four times more likely to find a job than those who have never had formal work experience.
This helps explain why so many first-time job seekers struggle to break in. It also sheds light on the popularity of internships, learnerships, and short-term contracts, even when the pay is low. For many, those roles are not about income alone but about unlocking future opportunities.
Age and gender still shape outcomes
Adults between the ages of 35 and 64 are the most likely to move into employment, while young people continue to face the toughest barriers. Women also transition into employment at lower rates than men, reinforcing long-standing gender gaps in the labour market.
These trends regularly spark debate on South African social media, where young graduates and working mothers often question how to gain experience or balance caregiving with employment expectations. The data confirms that these challenges are structural, not imagined.
Where you live can boost or limit your chances
Geography matters more than many people realise. The Western Cape stands out with the highest employment retention rate in the country. Nearly 94 percent of employed people there remain employed quarter to quarter.
At the other end of the scale, provinces like the Free State and North West show weaker retention and lower transition rates into employment. This feeds into internal migration, as people relocate in search of better prospects, even when the cost of living is higher.
Permanent work still offers real protection
Contract type plays a quiet but powerful role. People on permanent contracts are far more likely to stay employed than those on limited or unspecified contracts. Skilled workers also enjoy much greater security than semi-skilled or low-skilled workers, who face the highest risk of falling out of employment.
Industry matters too. Workers in primary sector industries are more vulnerable to job losses, reflecting broader economic pressures in sectors like mining and agriculture.
The longer unemployment lasts, the harder it gets
One of the most sobering findings is how sharply prospects drop the longer someone remains unemployed. Those who have been without work for a short period are more than twice as likely to find a job than people in long-term unemployment.
This reinforces the urgency of early intervention, training, and placement support, especially for young people entering the job market for the first time.
What this really tells us about work in South Africa
The labour market is not collapsing, but it is shifting. Jobs are less stable, movement is more frequent, and the gap between those with skills, education, and experience and those without is widening.
For individuals, the message is clear. Education, experience, and skills remain the strongest tools available. For policymakers, the data underscores the need for targeted support that helps people move into work quickly and stay there.
For everyone else watching from the sidelines, it explains why finding a job can feel so uneven. In South Africa, opportunity is not evenly spread, and the numbers now show exactly where the lines are drawn.
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Source: Business Tech
Featured Image: Facebook/Jersey Cowgirl
