Weak rand curbs SA employers from hiring

Raymond Pani

09 March 2016

South African employers have reported conservative hiring plans for the April to June time frame, according to the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey released today.

The survey found that 13% of employers forecast an increase in staffing levels, 8% expect a decrease and 77% anticipate no change.

Once the data is adjusted to allow for seasonal variation, the outlook stands at +5%. Hiring prospects are unchanged when compared to the first quarter of 2016, but declined by 6 percentage points year-on-year.

Lyndy van den Barselaar, managing director of Manpower SA, said “the weak global position of the rand has had a negative impact on many SA businesses, across sectors.

Increased operating and import costs, paired with the rising costs of necessities and the falling price of commodities, mean that many businesses do not have the budget to hire new talent in the coming quarter. This trend is seen globally for the second quarter of 2016.”