Stats SA releases its Quarterly Labour Force Survey for the third quarter on Tuesday 10 November, and economists are split on whether unemployment rose or eased.
Where unemployment stood
The official unemployment rate was 33.6% in the second quarter, up from 32.7% in the first quarter, according to Stats SA. Youth unemployment was 47.4% in the second quarter, up 1.5 percentage points.
What economists expect
Nedbank expects the third-quarter figure to show a "modest deterioration in the unemployment rate". Investec economist Lara Hodes forecasts a "modest easing to 33%".
Other data this week
Stats SA also publishes September manufacturing production on Tuesday. Hodes expects output to fall about 4% year on year, after a 4.3% contraction in August. The revised Absa manufacturing purchasing managers' index for October was 48.7.
On Thursday 12 November, Stats SA publishes September mining production. Mining output fell 12.7% year on year in August and 5.4% month on month. Absa estimates September mining output was down 10.7% year on year, and pencils in a 2.3% month-on-month increase, with high uncertainty.
Why it matters
The labour force survey is the main official measure of joblessness, and it arrives as new councils negotiate coalitions and the economy grows slowly.
What we do not yet know
These are forecasts, not results. We will update when Stats SA publishes the figures.
