The number of vacancies that job-seekers applied for in 2017 were the same as, if not slightly lower than, 2016.
This is according to Careers24’s review of recruitment and job seeker statistics, which reveals that a total off 680 000 searches were made on Careers24 during 2017 compared to a little more than 550 000 in 2016.
However, the total amount of applications made went down from more than 650 000 in 2016 to just under 560 000, showing that candidates are thinking carefully about which companies they would like to work for.
Despite the static application numbers, 2017 was still active for first-time job seekers, who surged into the market with well over 100 000 candidates searching for opportunities.
“We’ve also noticed that the amount of people currently employed and seeking other opportunities outweighed the number of people currently unemployed and actively looking for work,” says Shaun Clarke, brand manager at Careers24.
Of the 300 000 candidates reviewed, 160 000 were employed while 140 000 were unemployed.
The number of jobs posted in various job sectors in 2017 remained similar or was slightly lower than the number of jobs posted in 2016. This could be an indication of the current economy, showing that the lack of growth in the economy is forcing businesses to only hire new candidates selectively.
The top 10 sectors with the most jobs posted during 2017 were: IT with 6 264; sales with 1 976; finance with 1 613; engineering with 1 20; education with 1 328; accounting with 1 004; medical with 988; retail with 913; admin with 799; and manufacturing with 722.
The top five sectors for job posts during 2017 are similar to those of 2016: IT at 6 210; technology at 3 897; sales at 2 329; engineering at 1 694; and marketing at 1 202.
In 2017, over 500 000 new candidates registered on Careers24 and more than half of these new job seekers registered on a mobile device. “The trend toward more and more traffic being generated through mobile devices has been long predicted, but 2017 was the first year where we’ve consistently seen general mobile traffic make up as much as 70% of all traffic on Careers24,” says Clarke.
“The last quarter of the year generally sees a decline in activity in the recruitment market. Most people are planning for their holidays and some of the lucky ones are sitting tight, waiting for their bonus cheque. January is a time for new resolutions so we are currently seeing activity increase sharply.”