- Labour market records encouraging gains as more than 10 000 additional jobs created since 2023
BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Eswatini’s unemployment rate has declined from 35.4 percent in 2023 to 33.5 percent in 2025, signalling encouraging progress in the country’s labour market as employment opportunities continue to expand.
The latest Labour Market Information Report shows that while unemployment remains one of the country’s biggest socio-economic challenges, significant improvements have been recorded over the past two years.
According to the report, the number of employed people increased from 260 356 in 2023 to 271 227 in 2025, representing an increase of nearly 11 000 jobs. During the same period, the number of unemployed people fell from 142 553 to 136 487.
The improvement comes as the country’s labour force expanded from 402 909 people in 2023 to 407 715 in 2025, demonstrating that job creation continued despite a growing number of people entering the labour market.
The report indicates that the working-age population increased from 793 614 in 2023 to 809 194 in 2025, reflecting population growth and an increasing demand for employment opportunities.
The employment-to-population ratio also improved from 32.8 percent to 33.5 percent, meaning a larger share of the population is now employed.
Male employment showed particularly strong gains. The number of employed men increased from 131 586 to 149 737, while male unemployment declined from 65 038 to 66 889 within an expanding labour force, reducing the unemployment rate among men from 33.1 percent to 30.9 percent.
Female unemployment also improved slightly, falling from 37.6 percent to 36.4 percent.
Despite these gains, the report highlights that unemployment remains a significant concern. More than 136 000 people are still actively seeking employment.
The report further shows that the labour force participation rate remained relatively stable at 50.4 percent, compared to 50.8 percent in 2023, indicating that roughly half of the country’s working-age population is actively engaged in the labour market.
Another positive development is the decline in the combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force from 47.1 percent in 2021 to 45.6 percent in both 2023 and 2025, suggesting that more people are finding opportunities within the labour market.
Economists say the latest figures demonstrate gradual recovery and resilience within the economy, supported by growth in sectors such as services, trade, construction and small enterprise development.
However, they caution that more targeted interventions are needed to accelerate job creation and ensure that economic growth translates into sustainable employment opportunities.
Government, private sector stakeholders and development partners continue to implement programmes aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, skills development and investment attraction.
While the unemployment rate remains high by international standards, the reduction from 35.4 percent to 33.5 percent represents meaningful progress and provides hope that continued efforts to stimulate economic activity could further improve employment outcomes in the coming years.
