Joint media release by Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape and MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer
Premier Winde and MEC Meyer welcome decrease in Western Cape unemployment rate
The Western Cape Government welcomes the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data for the province, which shows that the region’s unemployment rate has decreased to 19.5% in Quarter 2 of 2026, down from 19.6% in the previous quarter.
The Western Cape’s unemployment rate has been below 20% for over a year.
This is still significantly lower than the national unemployment rate and highlights the Western Cape’s strong economic performance despite challenging global and national economic conditions.
Seven out of ten sectors in the province recorded year-on-year gains in employment, driven by the finance (+41 000), trade (+41 000) and agriculture (+26 000) sectors.
The provincial labour absorption rate, the share of the working age population that is employment, also grew 1.1 percentage points y-o-y reaching 55.7% compared to 39.6% nationally.
The latest QLFS figures also confirm that over past 10 years, the province’s unemployment rate has consistently remained below the national average.
Premier Alan Winde stated, "Every decrease in the unemployment rate is encouraging. It shows that we continue to foster a resilient job creation ecosystem that works for our residents. Despite intense head winds, we are still making progress. The Western Cape and its residents have faced an incredibly difficult three months, marked by several weather events that wreaked havoc on infrastructure and the agricultural sector, in particular, which is a major economic driver in the province. We know we must and can do more to grow our economy. We will push even harder to bring more investment to our province that creates many more jobs.”
Western Cape MEC of Agriculture, Economic Development and Tourism, Dr Ivan Meyer, welcomed the latest figures.
"While South Africa lost 68 000 jobs year-on-year, the Western Cape created 91 000 jobs over this period. This achievement reflects the resilience of our economy, the determination of our businesses, and the impact of creating an enabling environment for investment, growth and job creation," said Minister Meyer.
Minister Meyer said the results demonstrate the importance of maintaining a growth-focused economic agenda.
"Growth creates jobs. Our focus remains on attracting investment, supporting businesses, expanding export opportunities, improving the skills pipeline, and building the infrastructure required for sustained economic growth."
Media Enquiries:
Regan Thaw
Media Liaison Officer to the Premier
Mobile number: 083 627 7246
Email: Regan.Thaw@westerncape.gov.za
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