City Press reports that despite SA’s unemployment rate continuing to rise and having reached 33.5% in the second quarter of 2024, the job market has shown some promising signs of recovery.

The August 2024 Job Market Trends report from online recruitment platform Pnet offers a glimpse of optimism for job seekers. According to the report, local hiring activity increased by 8% between June and July 2024, indicating a steady upward trend. Year-on-year, hiring activity grew by 4% compared to July 2023, while a two-year comparison shows a 3% rise in recruitment activity since July 2022. The report highlights several fields experiencing an increased demand for skilled professionals, including Business Analysis (IT); Nursing and Professional Caregiving (Medical and Health); Executive Management / Directorship (Business and Management); Quality Control (Manufacturing and Assembly); and Building Project Management (Construction). These fields reflect the sectors showing the highest hiring activity growth in recent months. Notably, the architecture and engineering sectors reported a 9% year-on-year increase in hiring, while manufacturing and assembly saw a 6% uptick. Pnet’s report also emphasises the ongoing demand for accounting skills, aligning with the government’s National List of Occupations in High Demand published in April 2024.

• Read the full original of the report in the above regard by Sthembiso Lebuso at City Press (subscriber access only)

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