Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa
South Africa: Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers was 4,170 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa, 2008–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa stood at 4,170.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa peaked at 4,642 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1,971, in 2008.
That places South Africa 2nd out of 70 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 1,971 | — |
| 2009 | 2,478 | +25.7% |
| 2010 | 3,031 | +22.3% |
| 2011 | 3,190 | +5.2% |
| 2012 | 3,242 | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 3,251 | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 3,226 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 3,098 | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 3,218 | +3.9% |
| 2017 | 3,253 | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 3,596 | +10.5% |
| 2019 | 3,684 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 4,642 | +26.0% |
| 2021 | 4,502 | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 4,390 | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 3,968 | -9.6% |
| 2024 | 4,170 | +5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2,224 | 1,971 | 2,478 | 2 |
| 2010s | 3,279 | 3,031 | 3,684 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,334 | 3,968 | 4,642 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More work & labour data for South Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,698 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa?
- Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers in South Africa was 4,170 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4,642 in 2020.
- What is the lowest potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,971 in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers?
- South Africa ranks 2nd out of 70 countries with data for 2024.
- Is potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers includes those who have been recently searching for a job but are not available to work within a short reference period, those who have not searched recently for a job, but they are available to work within a short reference period, and finally those who do not fall in neither of the previous categories but that wanted employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.