Jewish South Africans not immune as unemployment deepens

The unemployment crisis is no longer a distant national statistic for Jewish families. It is now being felt in homes, schools, and communal spaces across the country. 

Statistics South Africa announced last week that the official unemployment rate rose to 32.7% in the first quarter of 2026. The expanded unemployment rate, which includes discouraged work seekers who have stopped searching for jobs, climbed to 43.1%. That means 8.1 million people are officially out of work, and another nearly four million South Africans have reportedly given up looking for work altogether. 

Economists warn that the figures reflect deep structural problems in the economy, with sluggish growth, rising living costs, and limited job creation continuing to squeeze households. Young people remain the hardest hit, with graduates increasingly competing for scarce entry-level positions. 

Within the Jewish community, young graduates, retrenched professionals, parents returning to work, and older workers seeking flexible employment all say that job hunting is exhausting and emotionally draining. 

“I graduated just over a year ago and apart from a short internship, I haven’t been able to secure permanent employment yet,” said 24-year-old Leah*. 

She said many entry-level jobs require years of experience, trapping graduates in a cycle where they aren’t hired and cannot gain experience. “A lot of applications also just disappear into a void.” 

She said unemployment created emotional pressure for young adults at a time when they are trying to establish their independence. “It’s stressful because you start comparing yourself with friends who seem to be moving ahead in their careers. Some days I feel optimistic, and other days I wonder whether I chose the wrong field entirely.” 

Forty-seven-year-old David* said he had expected to find work quickly after being retrenched from a marketing position. Instead, he has spent eight months searching in a highly competitive market. 

“I’ve spent hours tailoring CVs and cover letters, applied for dozens of jobs, and often never hear back,” David said. “Interviews are also incredibly competitive because so many qualified people are applying for the same positions.” 

The uncertainty affects more than finances. “It’s affected my confidence more than I expected,” he said. “There’s definitely anxiety that comes with not knowing when your next opportunity will come.” 

David said support from friends and networking contacts in the Jewish community had helped him cope with the isolation that often accompanies being out of work. 

Beth*, who was unemployed for five months before recently finding work, said it had been gruelling and dehumanising. “You become just a number in a million other CVs. 

“You become dependent on everyone around you and you start to feel useless.” 

Tracy*, a mother and former banker, said she had been unemployed since February 2024 after losing a long-term job. She described the process as “frustrating and tedious”, saying she had often received no response after interviews that had initially appeared positive. 

She has received emotional support from family, friends, and therapy, but financial pressure remained constant. 

At the same time, she said, unemployment had pushed her to start a small business that gave her more flexibility and personal freedom. “From day one after losing my job, I got up and started my own little business, which I am proud of,” she said. “I have been fortunate to get odd projects now and then.” 

Thirty-eight-year-old Rachel* said re-entering the workforce after taking time off to raise children had been especially difficult. “Even though I have experience, I sometimes feel employers see the career break before they see my skills. 

“You want to contribute financially again and regain a sense of professional identity, but the process can chip away at your confidence,” she said. But encouragement from other Jewish mothers and community members had helped her remain hopeful while job hunting. 

Jewish employment organisations say these experiences reflect broader trends in the community. Ariellah Rosenberg of ORT SA said it had seen growing demand from both businesses and unemployed people looking for support and direction. “Unemployment doesn’t look the same for everyone,” Rosenberg said. 

She said ORT SA focused on three main areas: career guidance, entrepreneurship development, and future-focused skills training. “Our goal is to help people understand their options, build confidence, develop relevant skills, and take meaningful steps towards employment or self-employment.” 

Rosenberg said ORT SA was also developing a career guidance programme to prepare young people for changing workplace demands shaped by artificial intelligence, automation, and new technologies. “Career guidance cannot only focus on the jobs that exist today. It must also help people understand where the world is going and how they can prepare themselves for it.” 

Liat Beinart of Staffwise said the Cape Town-based organisation had been approached by more than 790 job seekers since 2019. Between January 2021 and December 2025, it made about 425 placements. So far this year, it has placed 28 people in jobs. 

Beinart said the community needed stronger partnerships. “Through brokering relationships with Jewish-owned and Jewish-run businesses, as well as partnership with all Cape Town Jewish community organisations, we are able to bring opportunities closer to job seekers,” she said. 

Staffwise also works with Jewish Community Services in Cape Town on the Switch Programme, which helps people who have been unemployed for long periods re-enter the workplace through supported internships. Seven of the 12 participants have secured permanent employment. 

Beinart said organisations including Young Jewish Cape Town, ORT Jet, the Entrepreneurs Network, the Eliot Osrin Leadership Institute, the Cape South African Jewish Board of Deputies, and Elevate were collaborating to improve graduate development and youth employment opportunities. The aim was not only to place people in jobs, but to build long-term economic sustainability within the community. 

Rosenberg said many unemployed people were increasingly exploring entrepreneurship and freelance work as formal employment opportunities became harder to secure. Through ORT Jet, a division of ORT SA, community members are offered mentorship, business training, workshops, and networking opportunities aimed at helping small businesses become sustainable. 

“Not everyone’s path to income will come through formal employment,” Rosenberg said. “For some, the opportunity lies in creating something of their own.” 

ORT SA has also launched Jet Flix, a YouTube platform featuring webinars and discussions about career development, entrepreneurship, and navigating the modern workplace. 

Benji Shulman, the administrator of a Facebook employment group for Jewish South Africans, said the online community had grown steadily over the past decade as more people searched for work or side income opportunities. 

Shulman said the group included younger people looking for opportunities, older professionals seeking part-time work, recruiters offering remote positions, and small businesses advertising vacancies. “We’ve got a lot of recruiters that do remote work that people can join.” 

For many Jewish South Africans, unemployment is being experienced in deeply personal ways. “At the same time, I’m trying to stay hopeful and remind myself that unemployment doesn’t define my worth,” David said. 

* Interviewees have requested anonymity