Business Times reports that, with SA on shutdown to try to slow the spread of Covid-19, companies are freezing posts they previously advertised.  

Even before that, companies in SA were already cautious about hiring as they struggled in a creaking local economy.  Now, as the spectre of a global recession looms, companies both foreign and local are battening down the hatches.  Nicole Long of Be Different Recruitment, which specialises in placing highly skilled candidates in the financial services, banking, IT and legal sectors, commented:  "There was tremendous fear in many employees' minds prior to Covid-19; however their fear is doubling with the lockdown and companies struggling to operate.  The majority of our clients are placing their positions on hold that were previously advertised due to Covid-19.  This does not just apply to local companies we work with."  She indicated that even before the emergence of coronavirus, SA was "already under so much pressure" with companies fearful of hiring due to the economic uncertainty predicted for 2020.  Stacey Bossenger, director of Ad Talent, which focuses on the digital and IT sector, public relations, advertising, creative industries and marketing, said "companies are pulling jobs or putting recruitment on hold until further notice".  But she added that there were still some fairly senior roles that people were continuing to recruit for, such as digital marketing managers, heads of communications, designers, strategists and heads of marketing.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Nick Wilson at BusinessLive (paywall access only)

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