LIMITED HIRING INTENTIONS FOR SECOND QUARTER

SOUTH African employers reported limited hiring intentions for the second quarter of 2020 with the best hiring outlook being KwaZulu-Natal, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey released yesterday. The survey found that while 8 percent of employers forecast an increase in payrolls, 5 percent anticipated a decrease and 85 percent expected to make no changes. It said the outlook for South Africa was at +2 percent, unchanged from the previous quarter. Hiring plans remained relatively stable when compared with the previous quarter, but decline by 3 percentage points in comparison with the same period last year. Lyndy van den Barselaar, the managing diirector of ManpowerGroup SA, said: “As we enter into the second quarter of 2020, the South African economy continues to be affected by subdued economic growth and a sluggish growth outlook.” Van den Barselaar said: “Local businesses remain concerned about policy uncertainty, high unemployment rates, and continued load shedding. These factors are causing employers to proceed cautiously when it comes to their spending and hiring strategies. Further, while it is too early to predict the potential impact of Covid-19 on global hiring, the reality today is that unemployment remains low in many markets and organisations globally are still struggling to find people with the right skills.” The survey was conducted between January 6 and January 28 before the global escalation of Covid-19. The report found the strongest labour market was anticipated by KwaZuluNatal employers, who reported a net employment outlook of +7 percent, while the Western Cape and Gauteng, had outlooks of +4 percent and +3 percent, respectively. Free State employers report downbeat hiring prospects with an outlook of -4 percent, while the Eastern Cape Outlook stood at -3 percent. The strongest hiring pace was forecast in the manufacturing sector,while employers in the construction sector and finance and business services sector expected to trim payrolls. | Staff Reporter