In the context of high and growing unemployment, the temptation to dismiss some of this unemployment as voluntary exists. Much of the debate in the literature surrounding voluntary unemployment in South Africa centres on the discouraged. This paper explores the possibility that some of the searching unemployed may have the opportunity to prolong job search until a ‘suitable’ job is found and so may be seen to choose not to work. The analysis seeks to motivate for changes to the existing Labour Force Survey to permit a more comprehensive study of voluntary unemployment in the future.