South Africa has one of the world’s highest unemployment rates, with the official unemployment rate sitting at 33.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2025. The country’s unemployment figures, and the statistical methods underlying them, constantly invite contentious political and technical debates. Some captains of industry have claimed that the reported statistics are not a true reflection of the unemployment situation in South Africa.

To reflect on the debate, the Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (MISTRA) convened a roundtable on the 3rdof October 2025, attended by officials from Stats SA and other government departments, as well as representatives from business, multilateral institutions, academia and civil society. The roundtable yielded several critical insights into persistent misconceptions about how labour market data is collected, interpreted and communicated. These insights underscore the importance of statistical literacy, methodological transparency, and inclusive data practices in shaping effective employment policies.

This policy brief aims to contribute to the discourse by summarising major issues from the roundtable discussion and from an engagement with FinMark Trust. It also makes recommendations on how to further enhance the credibility, accuracy, and utility of labour market data.