Does having a degree really give you a better chance of finding a job in South Africa?

Having a university degree does not guarantee employment in South Africa, but the latest labour market figures show that graduates have a considerably better chance of finding a job than people with lower levels of education.

Statistics South Africa’s (Stats SA) Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of 2026 found that graduates recorded an unemployment rate of 11.9%.

This was significantly lower than the national unemployment rate of 33.7%, as well as the rate recorded among people without a matric qualification.

The figures highlight the continued importance of education and formal qualifications in a country where millions of people are struggling to find a job.

Graduates have a much better chance of finding a job

According to Stats SA, the unemployment rate among graduates stood at 11.9% between July and September 2026.

This represented a decrease of 0.6 of a percentage point compared with the previous quarter.

In comparison, people without a matric qualification recorded an unemployment rate of 39.2%, which remained unchanged from the second quarter.

The survey also found that unemployment rates among people with matric and those with less than matric were higher than the national average.

People with other tertiary qualifications, alongside university graduates, recorded unemployment rates below the national figure.

The findings suggest that further education can improve a person’s position in the labour market, although a qualification does not remove the risk of unemployment.

Unemployment increased across all education levels

Despite the advantage recorded by graduates, the latest figures also show that having a qualification does not make South Africans immune to the country’s employment challenges.

Stats SA found that unemployment increased year-on-year across all education levels.

The national unemployment rate rose from 31.9% in the third quarter of 2025 to 33.7% in the same quarter of 2026.

The number of unemployed people also increased by 571 000 over the year, reaching approximately 8.58 million.

The latest figures also show that 16.84 million people were employed in South Africa during the third quarter of 2026.

Although this represented an increase of 101 000 compared with the previous quarter, the number of unemployed people also increased by 97 000.

The broader picture remains challenging, particularly for people entering the labour market for the first time.

Stats SA also recorded a youth unemployment rate of 63.6% among people aged 15 to 24.

Furthermore, 35.7% of young people in this age group were not in employment, education or training.