KZN records highest employment gains in country after two economic downgrades

AS the national unemployment rate continues to rise, Kwazulu-natal has been viewed as the place to find job opportunities.

The Quarterly Labour Force Survey revealed that unemployment in the country had risen to 27.7%.

But compared to the last quarter, the employment rate increased in KZN with 109 000 opportunities, recording the highest employment gains.

According to Manpowergroupsa, opportunities for job-seekers were expected to be strongest in electricity, gas and water supply and the finance, insurance, real estate and business services sectors.

They were expected to be weakest within agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining and quarrying.

And Manpowergroupsa also revealed that provincially, employers in Kwazulu -Natal reported the strongest hiring intentions for the third quarter of the year, while employers within the Eastern Cape and Free State reported the weakest hiring intentions.

Lyndy van den Barselaar, managing director of Man powergroup SA, said: “As both global and local economic uncertainty continues, many businesses remain cautious about increasing staffing levels.”

She said the country had faced two economic downgrades in recent months, which further demonstrated market uncertainty, and which had resulted in businesses being more cautious in their spending and hiring activity.

“This is reflected in the fact that the majority of local employers said they anticipated no change in staffing levels for the upcoming quarter,” she said.

KZN remained a promising province for business development, with many businesses looking to the region for expansion, especially those making use of the province’s ports, she added.

“A good example of this is Nestlé’s launch of its newly renovated coffee production facility in Estcourt, near Ladysmith which has reportedly created 490 indirect and permanent jobs,” Van den Barselaar said.

She added that as water shortages continue to plague parts of the country, individuals and businesses are investing in systems and technologies that enable them to save water, and lessen their environmental impact.

This means that those organisations creating, installing, and maintaining these kinds of systems and technologies are more than likely experiencing an increase in demand,” she said. .