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As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused thousands of job loss. However, what many do not know is that there is also a labour demand increase in select occupations.
According to CareerJunction, South Africa’s job market experienced a noticeable uptick in activity during June 2020. Job search activity went up by 13%, while labour demand increased by 3%.
There is now an increasing labour demand for professionals in marketing, warehousing & logistics as well as manufacturing & assembly. This means that companies are beginning to show the first signs of recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Naturally, the demand for medical & health professionals will be higher with the increasing number of Covid-19 positive patients.
To determine where majority of employment takes place, an overview of vacancy levels across various sectors is necessary.
CareerJunction did just that. The findings show that IT, business & management, and finance sectors are undoubtedly the most sought-after sectors. This is closely followed by the sales, admin, office & support, and architecture & engineering sectors, among others.
Below is a graph that highlights sectors high in demand and high in supply.
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.
Jobs currently High in Demand
According to the research, the following occupational fields are currently the most sought-after skill sets in the job market:
Software Development: Since the onset of the nationwide lockdown, there has been significant decreases in labour demand. However, 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.
There are also three trending jobs/professions, which have seen a spike in demand over the last month. The spike in demand has also contributed to an increase in the pay being offered.
Nursing / Professional Care Giving
Average salary offerings for a skilled level position:
Gauteng – R22,868 to R32,229
Western Cape – R23,030 to R32,104
KwaZulu-Natal – R20,800 to R30,033
Senior Management
Gauteng R61,967 to R75,984
Western Cape – R48,829 to R57,926
KwaZulu-Natal – R46,534 to R58,452
Middle / Department Management
Gauteng – R47,790 to R58,423
Western Cape – R42,207 to R52,218
KwaZulu-Natal – R44,505 to R50,923
