Share of temporary employees in South Africa
South Africa: Share of temporary employees was 15.23 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Share of temporary employees in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of temporary employees in South Africa is 15.23, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of temporary employees in South Africa peaked at 25.91 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 11.51, in 2008.
That places South Africa 45th out of 99 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Share of temporary employees in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 21.57 | — |
| 2001 | 20.1 | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 20.51 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 20.39 | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 21.61 | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 25.01 | +15.8% |
| 2006 | 25.91 | +3.6% |
| 2007 | 25.89 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 11.51 | -55.6% |
| 2009 | 11.79 | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 11.96 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 12.18 | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 13.18 | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 14.13 | +7.2% |
| 2014 | 15.25 | +7.9% |
| 2015 | 14.73 | -3.4% |
| 2016 | 13.86 | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 13.55 | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 13.61 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 13.25 | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 12.97 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 13.69 | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 14.75 | +7.8% |
| 2023 | 15.48 | +4.9% |
| 2024 | 15.23 | -1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.43 | 11.51 | 25.91 | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.57 | 11.96 | 15.25 | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.43 | 12.97 | 15.48 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 588,323 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 594,743 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 603,304 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of temporary employees in South Africa?
- Share of temporary employees in South Africa was 15.23 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of temporary employees recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 25.91 in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of temporary employees recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.51 in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for share of temporary employees?
- South Africa ranks 45th out of 99 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of temporary employees rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of temporary employees. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This indicator represents temporary employment as a percentage of employees. Temporary employment, whereby workers are engaged only for a specific period of time, includes fixed-term, project- or task-based contracts, as well as seasonal or casual work, including day labour. There are wide differences in definitions used across countries, which should be kept in mind when making cross-country comparisons. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.