These skills stand out right now in South Africa’s job market
The latest CareerJunction Index shows South Africa’s job market experienced a noticeable uptick in activity during June 2020, with job search activity up by 13%, while labour demand increased by 3%.
Labour demand for professionals in marketing, warehousing & logistics as well as manufacturing & assembly are showing the first signs of recovery, the job search specialist said.
“Naturally, the demand for medical & health professionals is growing with the increasing number of Covid-19 positive patients,” it said.
An overview of vacancy levels across various sectors provides a good indication of where the majority of employment takes place, CareerJunction said.
“The IT, business & management and finance sectors are undoubtedly the most sought-after sectors, followed by the sales, admin, office & support and architecture & engineering sectors, among others, listed.”
When looking at active job seekers across various sectors, areas of high supply correlate closely to areas of high demand, however supply outstrips demand in some areas, leading to a competitive environment for job seekers, it said.
CareerJunction’s latest research shows that the following occupational fields are currently the most sought-after skill sets in the job market:
- Software Development: Despite significant decreases in labour demand since the onset of the nationwide lockdown, software development remains the most in-demand skills set in the South African labour market.
- Middle/Department Management: After a dip in recruitment activity for middle and department managers, hiring activity for managerial skills increased by 40% from May to June.
- Representative/Sales Consulting: Sales representatives and consultants remain in demand. Hiring activity for sales professionals grew by 13% during June.
The group also highlighted three trending jobs/professions, which have seen a spike in demand over the last month.
Nursing / Professional Care Giving
Average salary offerings for a skilled level position:
- GP R22,868 to R32,229
- WC R23,030 to R32,104
- KZN R20,800 to R30,033
Senior Management
- GP R61,967 to R75,984
- WC R48,829 to R57,926
- KZN R46,534 to R58,452
Middle / Department Management
- GP R47,790 to R58,423
- WC R42,207 to R52,218
- KZN R44,505 to R50,923
Read: Looking for a job in South Africa: here’s what to expect right now