SA ‘becoming a construction site’, says Macpherson

Public works & infrastructure minister Dean Macpherson says SA is “becoming a construction site” as the industry continues to create thousands of jobs despite the rising unemployment rate.

“The construction sector added 20,000 jobs in the second quarter and 55,000 jobs year on year — a 4.6% increase. This is proof that we are turbocharging the construction sector that drives jobs and growth in SA,” Macpherson said.

He made the remarks on an X post after the release of Stats SA’s quarterly labour force survey (QLFS) for the second quarter of 2025, which showed mixed results across industries.

According to Stats SA, the number of people employed in the formal sector increased by 34,000 in Q2 and the informal sector employment decreased by 19,000 over the same period. The largest industry increases in employment were recorded in:

• trade (88,000);
• private households (28,000); and
• construction (20,000).

Year-on-year comparisons painted a more positive picture, with a net increase of 154,000 jobs, driven mainly by gains in:

• finance (79,000);
• construction (55,000);
• transport (51,000); and
• community and social services (45,000).

The biggest annual job losses came from:

• private households (54,000);
• trade (45,000); and
• mining (23,000).

The QLFS revealed that construction remains heavily male-dominated, with men making up 88.6% of workers in the second quarter.

In the past year, men accounted for more than 90% of the new jobs created in the industry, gaining 50,000 jobs (up 4.7%), while women added just 5,000 (up 3.6%).

Stats SA also showed quarter on quarter the sector’s growth was entirely male-driven as men gained 23,000 jobs (up 2.1%), while women lost 4,000 (down 2.7%).

Overall, the second quarter recorded 1,115,000 men employed in construction compared with 144,000 women.

The report also showed unemployment increased despite job gains in several industries. The official unemployment rate rose from 31.9% to 33.3% in Q2.

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