We all know that fewer companies are hiring, and more companies are downsizing, but now the numbers have emerged. And they look gloomy.
Over the next quarter, only 17% of South African employers plan on adding to their staff, 67% are on a hiring freeze, and 15% are going to retrench, according to the Manpower Employment Outlook survey. This is a major jump, since only 7% of companies were planning to retrench in the last quarter.
The survey, which was conducted through interviews with 751 small, medium and large South African businesses, says that employers reported the weakest job prospects in three years.
The survey says the manufacturing sector will be hardest hit, with 21% fewer jobs in the next quarter, along with 13% fewer jobs in the construction sector, and 11% fewer in mining and quarrying.
The worst area to be job hunting is the Eastern Cape, where the chances of getting a job are 18% lower than they were last quarter, and are the lowest they’ve been in the province since 2006. This could be linked to the ailing motor vehicle industry, which has a number of manufacturing plants in the province.
A good place to look for a job next quarter, is as a waitress or concierge. According to the survey, employers in the restaurants and hotels sector are planning to hire 19% more people than they had last quarter. This may be due to the Confederations Cup soccer tournament and the nearing of the summer tourist season.
Other positive sectors are wholesale and retail trade, and electricity, gas and water supply. While these sectors are still hiring, the number of companies in the sector that are employing newbies is steadily decreasing, barring restaurants and hotels, who are hiring at a rate of 1% more than last quarter.