Jobs in finance and sales are the most in demand in South Africa, with the labour market taking a hit from the delayed start to the school year. This is according to Pnet’s Job Market Trends Report, which looks at the jobs and sectors that have been most in demand over the previous month.Year-on-year, the figure is worst, dropping by 8% from January 2023.“This is partly attributed to the long school holiday period.
School holidays have a significant impact on economic activity and productivity since a substantial part of the country’s workforce takes leave during school holidays,” “In 2022, the first day of school was 12 January; in 2023, the first day of school was 11 January; this year, the first day of school was 17 January. As a result, January 2024 was left with significantly fewer working days (after the school holidays) compared to the years before.” The simple delay in the start of the school year had an immediate impact on hiring and economic activity. Despite the overall drop in hiring activity, several sectors have also increased hiring over the yea