Cautious optimism appears to reflect the mood of the industry as it gears up for the year ahead. “It’s started as a mixed bag,” says Jill Morris, Durban-based director at Lee Botti & Associates. “On the one hand a number of clients are looking for new staff – and these include companies that were previously forced to retrench – and on the other we have not seen the end of retrenchments. “Closure of divisions that are not seen to be profitable or are not considered to be core business has left a number of people unemployed.” Salary increases across all industries ranged from 7.7-8.4% between August 2009 and July 2010 according to the latest survey undertaken by PE Corporate Services in Johannesburg, says Morris. The salary survey for the clearing and forwarding industry – produced every second year by LBA in partnership with PE Corporate Services – is scheduled for August this year. According to Morris there is still a high demand for sales people with few openings for graduates or applicants with potential, who in the past were easy to market and place with growing companies. “The industry has seen a big shake-up with many senior level changes, but this can also be seen in a positive light, bringing fresh change to many organisations,” said Morris. “At our head office in Gauteng exciting opportunities have been identified by clients in Africa, and we have seen a sudden spurt of ex-pat assignments once again.”
