After a tough year of job losses, South Africa’s formal non-agricultural sector finally showed signs of life in the last quarter of 2024. According to Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Employment Statistics, 12,000 new jobs were added — nudging total employment up to 10.64 million.
It’s a modest 0.1% rise, but in this climate, even a spark matters.
📈 Who’s Hiring?
The Trade industry led the way with a solid +42,000 jobs, followed by Business Services (+22,000). It’s clear that consumer demand and service-driven growth are playing a role in driving recruitment in these spaces.
But not everyone is celebrating…
📉 Industries Still Bleeding Jobs
The Community Services sector took the biggest hit, slashing 26,000 jobs. Both Construction and Manufacturing also struggled, each losing 13,000 positions.
🔍 Full-Time vs. Part-Time: The Shift
💼 Full-Time Employment
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+10,000 jobs added overall
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Trade: +24,000
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Business Services: +21,000
But…
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Construction: -14,000
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Community Services: -12,000
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Manufacturing: -10,000
📉 Year-on-Year Drop: 26,000 fewer full-time jobs than in Dec 2023
🕐 Part-Time Employment
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Up by 2,000 jobs
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Trade added a strong 18,000 part-timers
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But community services shed 14,000, and manufacturing lost 3,000
📉 Year-on-Year Drop: 65,000 part-time jobs gone
💰 Salaries Up, But Not All Paychecks Are Created Equal
💸 Total Employee Earnings:
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Up 6.1% to a massive R1.03 trillion
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Biggest earners:
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Trade: +R13.6 billion
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Manufacturing: +R13 billion
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Community Services: +R12.4 billion
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Only the Mining industry saw a dip: -R910 million
💵 Bonus Boom, Overtime Slide
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Bonus payments exploded by 85.4% (from R60.7B → R112.5B)
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Overtime fell by 7.7%, with yearly totals also down
📊 Average Monthly Earnings:
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Slight quarterly drop: R28,274 → R28,231
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Year-on-year growth still healthy at +5.3%
💡 Top-paying sectors: Electricity, Mining, Community Services
⚠️ Lower-paying sectors: Manufacturing, Construction, Trade
🎯 What This Means for You:
Whether you’re hiring, job hunting, or just trying to make sense of the chaos — this data matters.
✅ Trade and Business Services = Hot hiring zones
⚠️ Construction and Community Services = Tough terrain
📊 Salaries are growing, but some industries are still feeling the pressure
Want help navigating SA’s shifting labour market? Whether you’re looking to hire smarter or land your next role, now’s the time to make strategic moves.