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Pulse - Construction Labour Force 2025Q2

Construction Workforce Defies Trend with Strongest Growth in Two Years, Driven by Eastern Cape Surge

In the second quarter of 2025, South Africa’s construction sector was one of only three industries to register job gains, adding 20 000 positions quarter-on-quarter and 55 000 year-on-year—the sector’s strongest annual growth in two years. This lifted total construction employment to 1.26 million, with the Eastern Cape leading growth at 19% q-q, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and North West. While the Western Cape’s construction workforce fell by 8.5% q-q, it remained higher year-on-year. The informal segment expanded sharply, rising 7.2% q-q and 11.3% y-y to account for 41% of the sector, while formal employment dipped 2% q-q. Nationally, the unemployment rate edged up to 33.2%, with six provinces recording increases, though Gauteng, Mpumalanga, and North West saw slight improvements.

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