The Kelly Group, a South African service provider in the employment industry, says it is encouraging that 22% of the 750 companies which took part in the Manpower global survey in November expect an increase in hiring in the first quarter of 2010.

Kelly Group deputy chief executive Mthunzi Mdwaba says it is evident from the results of the survey that there is a definite time-lag in the South African region, with some sectors performing better than others.

Mdwaba says: “While the Kelly Group has seen an upsurge in appointments in the financial, engineering, IT, tourism and government sectors, the increase has been mainly in the temporary sphere.

“There is still a reluctance to commit to permanent placements. It is also not clear whether the current improved retail sector hiring pattern is going to be sustainable or is simply driven by the festive season.”

Mdwaba noted that while South Africa had technically moved out of recession recently, the employment sector typically lagged trends in the general economy by six months. It would therefore still be a while before employment levels showed a significant recovery.

The Manpower global survey was conducted across 35 countries worldwide to measure anticipated employment trends between January and March 2010. It found that hiring activity was expected to be mostly positive in the Asia Pacific and Americas while employer forecasts in Europe, Middle East and Africa were mixed.