KwaZulu Natal recorded a gain of 54 000 jobs in the latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey, one of the strongest provincial performances. Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli said the increase reflected rising confidence in the provincial economy under the Government of Provincial Unity.

Stats SA reported that eight provinces saw employment growth, helping push the national unemployment rate down to roughly 31.9 percent. Only the Eastern Cape recorded job losses, while Gauteng and the Western Cape joined KZN as the leading job creators.