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Overview of the Provincial Revenue and Expenditure (OPRE %u2013 2025/26)Eastern Cape Labour Trends The Eastern Cape%u2019s labour market has demonstrated resilience gains over the past year, reflecting steady improvements in employment and declining unemployment rates..Table 1.12 Eastern Cape Labour Market Trends, 2023-2024 Source: Statistics South Africa, 2024 As of Q4 of 2024, the province%u2019s unemployment rate has declined to 36.6 per cent, a significant improvement from 41.9 per cent in Q4 of 2023. This positive trend signals a strong labour market, bolstered by resilience in some sectors of the provincial economy. Total number of employed individuals in the Province has risen from 1.348 million in Q4 of 2023 to 1.455 million in Q4 of 2024, marking an increase of over 100,000 jobs. Metros Driving Employment Gains: The Buffalo City Metro and Nelson Mandela Bay Metro have both recorded improvements in labour market conditions. In Nelson Mandela Bay Metro, the unemployment rate has dropped from 33.9 per cent in Q4 of 2023 to only 21.8 per cent in Q4 of 2024, supported by a higher jobs numbers from 326,000 in 2023 Q4 to 401,000 in Q4 2024. While the labour market in the more urbanised parts of the province is improving, the Non-Metro regions continue to face some challenges, with unemployment rates still above 43.0 per cent. The Eastern Cape%u2019s employment gains reflect not only a resilient provincial economy, but an outcome of strategic policy interventions, that focus on youth employment, skills development, and investment in high-growth sectors. The province is set to sustain this positive momentum in the coming years. 26