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According to the latest data from Statistics South Africa, the unemployment rate in the eThekwini municipality decreased to 21.2% between April and June 2026. This figure was lower than that of Cape Town (21.9%) and below the national average of 33.6%.

The eThekwini municipality recorded the lowest official unemployment rate among South African urban municipalities, based on the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) for the second quarter of 2026.

The unemployment rate in eThekwini showed a drop of 5.6 percentage points compared to 26.8%, which was registered in the same quarter of 2025. This represented the most significant decrease among the country's major cities during the reporting period. Over the year, the number of employed residents increased by 90,000 people to 1.29 million, while the number of unemployed decreased by 92,000 people to 347,000.

eThekwini became the only major city to achieve a reduction in the unemployment rate both quarterly and year-on-year. The city's absorption rate, which reflects the proportion of the working-age population that is employed, rose to 46.9% from 44.2% the previous year, marking the largest improvement among all megacities.

Job growth was concentrated in the formal sector, where 948,000 people were employed in the second quarter, which is 32,000 more than in the previous quarter. Furthermore, the broader underemployment rate, which includes workers who have not found jobs and those with part-time employment, also fell to 40.2% compared to 44.2% the previous year; however, this equivalent indicator increased at the national level over the same period.

The mayor of the city, Councillor Kirill Shaba, noted that these results reflect efforts to improve infrastructure, promote investment, and support the industrial and tourism sectors. He stated: 'These figures show that the fundamental foundations we have been working on, including infrastructure, investment promotion, and support for the industrial and tourism sectors, are translating into jobs for our residents.'

However, Kirill Shaba warned that unemployment remains a serious issue, as more than 340,000 people in the city are still looking for work. The municipality announced that it will continue to prioritize investments in infrastructure, support for small businesses, and partnerships with the private sector to expand employment opportunities.

According to data from the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis), employment in the German automotive sector reached its lowest level since 2005 in the first half of 2026. By the end of June, the sector employed 691,500 workers, which is 42,300 fewer people, or 5.8%, compared to the previous year.

The decline in employment in the automotive sphere was the most significant among Germany's large industrial sectors with over 200,000 employees. Nevertheless, the automotive industry remained the second-largest employer in the country in the manufacturing sector. The leading position was held by vehicle production, which employed 905,900 people by the end of the first half of the year.

In companies producing vehicles and engines, employment fell by 6.1% year-on-year, totaling 429,200 employees. In the production of components and accessories for cars, employment decreased by 7.6%, reaching 219,500 people. Meanwhile, in the segment of bodywork, body repairs, and trailers, employment increased by 10%, rising to 42,800 workers.

The drop in employment affected not only the automotive industry. Overall, Germany's manufacturing sector employed 5.29 million people by the end of the first half of the year. This figure decreased by 144,100 people, which is 2.7% year-on-year.

A reduction in personnel numbers was also noted in other major industries. The number of workers in metal goods production decreased by 3.8%, and in the production of ferrous and non-ferrous metals—by 3.7%. In the chemical industry, the decrease was 3.6%, and in electrical equipment production—3.4%.

In mechanical engineering, the largest industrial sector in terms of employment in Germany, the number of workers decreased by 2.7% compared to the previous year. More moderate rates of employment decline were recorded in the production of plastics, the food industry, and in the production of computers, electronic, and optical products.