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The role of educational institutions on unemployment in South Africa: evidence from the logistic regression model

Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Education should be a source of employment and a game-changer for poverty-stricken households. However, the number of educated households has increased over time in South Africa. Unemployment inherited from the apartheid regime remains stubbornly high, despite an increased number of educated citizens. The study is interested in evaluating the role of education in addressing the issue of unemployment among the labour force (15–64 years). This study used secondary data extracted from the Labour Force Survey 2019 and 2022 in the pre- and post-COVID-19 eras, respectively. The data were collected via a stratified two-stage design with a probability proportional to size. The data were analysed through a binary logistic regression model. The findings indicate non-monotonic results concerning educational institutions. The findings indicate that education, measured by educational institutions, has both positive and negative links with unemployment, especially for university and vocational college graduates, respectively. The level of education confirms a negative relationship with unemployment, which aligns with human capital Theory. The study recommends that government authorities start establishing work-based education at lower levels of education to reduce the time it takes for frictional unemployment in SA. The government has a lot of work ahead to break the bad traces of apartheid forces in the education system. Again, barriers to entry in labour-intensive industries should be removed to amplify entrepreneurship. The study was limited to unemployment as a function of education; future studies may explore the role of economic sectors and industries on unemployment.
DOI: 10.1080/15140326.2026.2708513
Language: English
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $1,533
OpenAlex ID: W7214004050
FWCI:
Cites: 46
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Related to: 9