Employment by main economic activity - Regions in South Africa

South Africa: Employment by main economic activity - Regions was 10.01 million Persons in 2009. ▬ Flat

Latest (2009)
10.01 million Persons
Change on year
down 3.6%
World rank
13th
of 43 countries
All-time high
10.38 million Persons
in 2008
All-time low
9.99 million Persons
in 2005
Years of data
5
2005–2009

Employment by main economic activity - Regions in South Africa, 2005–2009

02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M2005200720092005: 10.0M Persons2006: 10.1M Persons2007: 10.3M Persons2008: 10.4M Persons2009: 10.0M Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment by main economic activity - regions in South Africa is 10.01 million Persons, measured in 2009.

That represents a change of down 3.6% on the previous year and up 0.2% over five years.

That places South Africa 13th out of 43 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the middle of the range.

Employment by main economic activity - Regions in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment by main economic activity - Regions in South Africa, 2005 to 2009.
Year Persons Change
2005 9.99 million Persons
2006 10.14 million Persons +1.6%
2007 10.31 million Persons +1.7%
2008 10.38 million Persons +0.6%
2009 10.01 million Persons -3.6%

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 10 Poland 17.42 million Persons compare
  2. 11 Australia 14.12 million Persons compare
  3. 12 Netherlands 10.27 million Persons compare
  4. 14 Chile 9.04 million Persons
  5. 15 Romania 8.63 million Persons compare
  6. 16 Switzerland 5.64 million Persons compare

See the full ranking of 49 places →

More economy & growth data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment by main economic activity - regions in South Africa?
Employment by main economic activity - regions in South Africa was 10.01 million Persons in 2009, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 10.38 million Persons in 2008.
What is the lowest employment by main economic activity - regions recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.99 million Persons in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for employment by main economic activity - regions?
South Africa ranks 13th out of 43 countries with data for 2009.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Employment by main economic activity - Regions. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment by main economic activity - Regions in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/employment-by-main-economic-activity-regions/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment by main economic activity - Regions
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
49 places, 1,247 data points, 1980–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset provides indicators on employment by 10 broad activities and labour utilisation, in large regions (TL2) and small regions (TL3). Data source and definition Employment data is collected from Eurostat for EU countries and via delegates of the OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators (WPTI), as well as from national statistical offices' websites. Employment is measured at place of work. Labour utilisation is measured by the number of employment at place of work per capita, for total activity. See the Regional data sources. Definition of regions Regions are subnational units below national boundaries. OECD countries have two regional levels: large regions (territorial level 2 or TL2) and small regions (territorial level 3 or TL3). See the OECD Territorial grid. Use of economic data on small regions TL3 regions are grouped into typologies based on shared characteristics. For economic analysis, TL3 regions belonging to the same Functional Urban Area (FUA) with more than 250,000 inhabitants are aggregated into a single metropolitan region to reduce distortions from commuting. See the OECD Territorial Correspondence Table. Cite this dataset OECD Regions, Cities and Local Areas database http://oe.cd/geostats. Further information OECD Regions and Cities Statistical Atlas OECD Regions and Cities at a Glance For questions and/or comments, please email RegionStat@oecd.org.