Companies hiring – but slow recovery affects demand

Demand for jobs in the shipping and ports sector in South Africa will continue to suffer as the economy makes a slow recovery from recession, according to Dublin-based research firm Business Monitor International. And while some recruitment firms locally support this view, industry veteran Lee Botti says her statistics show firms are hiring. “BMI’s view of the South African economy in 2011 is that it will continue to experience a rather tepid although slowly strengthening recovery: this means that while growth will be in positive territory, demand growth for shipping and port services will be relatively limited,” a spokesman said. Morne Steffens, a personnel manager with employment agency Communicate Group, says recruitment in the freight and logistics industry has been slower than a year ago. “The annual (export) rates hikes and rising diesel costs could further affect recruitment,” he adds. Lionel Jordan, the head of Jordan Human Resources, says South Africa’s slow growth has had a negative impact on the freight industry. But Botti, the managing director of Lee Botti & Associates, says while a few clients have been affected by the drop in volumes in the industry, companies in the shipping industry are hiring. “In terms of statistics, between Jan-March 2010 and Jan-March 2011, we have seen a 55% increase in the number of job orders received countrywide at our four branches. We are still handling many temporary/contract assignments, but the permanent placement ratio has increased significantly since last year,” she adds