Media Reaction: Quarterly Labour Force Study Q1 2025 Stats SA Report.
Attention: Editors
Date: 13 May 2025
Shocking Job Losses Expose the Deep Gender Faultline in South Africa’s Labour Market.
The latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for Q1 2025 reveals a sobering truth: South Africa’s economic crisis is once again leaving womxn behind.
“I cannot underscore enough just how gendered job losses reveal deep structural inequality in South Africa particularly in South Africa’s labour market. I want to highlight that a feminist economic lens is essential in understanding these patterns.” – said Nkateko Chauke – Interim Executive Director at Oxfam South Africa – on an interview with Vuyo Mvoko of Newzroom Afrika in response to the release of the report
Womxn accounted for a staggering 77% of all job losses, despite comprising only 44% of the employed population. That is 223,000 jobs lost by womxn, compared to 67,000 by men. While men gained 106,000 jobs over the past year, womxn suffered a net loss of 63,000.
This is not recovery—it is regression.
These figures expose the structural gender inequality deeply embedded in our economy and labour market – and that womxn continue to be left behind.
Womxn continue to be overrepresented in low-wage, insecure, and vulnerable sectors—such as private households, trade, and agriculture—while men dominate more resilient industries like transport, construction, and finance. This pattern is not accidental. It is the product of a gender-blind system that systematically undervalues the work womxn do—especially care work, both paid and unpaid.
Oxfam South Africa calls for a Feminist Economy
1. A Feminist Lens Is Urgently Needed
To truly understand South Africa’s labour crisis, we must adopt a feminist lens. The economy does not impact all people equally. Womxn—particularly those in poor and marginalized communities—bear the brunt of job losses, wage gaps, informal employment, and the burden of unpaid care. As society, we must apply a Feminist Economic Framework that recognises how gender shapes economic outcomes and use this lens in all labour and recovery strategies.
2. A Universal Basic Income Grant (UBIG) of at least R1,558 per month
Oxfam South Africa calls for an urgent shift in economic thinking—one that centres care and equity. We demand the implementation of robust and transformative policies:
A UBI would provide womxn with essential financial security, reduce their vulnerability to exploitation, and acknowledge the economic value of unpaid care work. It’s not just a safety net—it’s an economic stimulus and a step toward structural justice.
“Looking at the current social support system such as the R350 grant is that there are serious inadequacies, especially for womxn in informal or seasonal employment, particularly also young people who often do not qualify for assistance. By not recognizing that womxn and young people’s employment and economic vulnerabilities are systemic issues, the state overlooks a vital opportunity to reshape the economy to promote inclusion, dignity, and equity. “
3. Public Investment in the Care Economy
The time has come to value, protect, and pay for care work.
“The quarterly labour force survey shows that so-called recovery policies continue to ignore the foundational role of reproductive and care labour. Without targeted investments in the care infrastructure, social protection and labour rights for informal workers, women will remain trapped in a cycle of economic marginalization. The results from the quarterly labour force survey, reveal a stark and troubling reality.” – Nkateko Chauke
We call for robust public investment in childcare, eldercare, healthcare, and social services. Far from being mere expenditures, these investments are foundational to sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
We need to reject Austerity; Invest in Equity and reorient national economic policy toward inclusive investment, not cuts. Building resilience requires valuing care, livelihoods and the role of women both in labour and society.
The QLFS is not just a statistical release; it is a wake-up call to rebuild the economy on feminist principles.
A gender-just economy is possible, but only if we act. Womxn’s work must be visible, valued, and supported—not sidelined.
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Media Enquiries:
Bongani Maseko
📧 ozacommunication@oxfam.org.za
📞 +27 61 545 9425
