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The Gender Divide in Unemployment Persists Across Education Levels

Education is often seen as a pathway to better job prospects, but it doesn’t close the gap in unemployment for South African women. Recent data shows that gender disparities in the labour market remain entrenched across all levels of educational attainment.

In the second quarter of 2025, the official unemployment rate for graduates stood at 12,2%, marking a 0,5 percentage point increase from the previous quarter. While this rate is lower than the national average, a closer look reveals a persistent gender gap among the most educated. Female graduates faced an unemployment rate of 15,0%, compared to 8,9% for their male counterparts, a difference of 6,1 percentage points.

The disparity is even more pronounced among those with lower educational qualifications. Women without a matric certificate recorded an unemployment rate of 42,8%, compared to 37,0% for men. This 5,8 percentage points difference highlights the heightened vulnerability of women with limited schooling, who face both educational and gender-based barriers to employment.

For individuals with only a matric certificate, the gender gap widens further. Unemployment among women in this group was 39,3%, while the rate for men was 31,7%. This 7,6 percentage points gap is the widest across all education levels.

No matter the level of education, women in South Africa face significantly greater challenges in securing employment than men.

For more information on this Topic, Check the Statistics South Africa under Subject: Gender Gaps Persist In South Africa through this Link: https://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=18668