It has been reported that South Africa's unemployment rate increased by 0.9% to 24.9% in the third quarter of 2009, compared to 23.6% in the second quarter. Stats SA's survey showed that employment contracted by 3.6% in the third quarter, translating into a loss of 484 000 jobs. Of these, 283 000 were in the formal sector (excluding agriculture), with the manufacturing and wholesale industries recording the highest losses.