Graduates, these are the most in-demand jobs and skills in SA

Alright, graduates, let’s talk about South Africa’s job market – specifically, the type of skills and jobs most in demand at the moment.

It’s no secret that landing that first job post-graduation can be tough.

Youth unemployment in SA

With a tight labour market and rising graduate unemployment, South Africa faces a grim reality of holding the world’s highest unemployment rates for both the overall population and the youth.

Earlier this month, Stats SA’s latest Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) highlighted just how the country’s youth are being left behind.

Those between the ages of 15 and 34 recorded the highest unemployment rates: 62.1% between the ages of 15 and 24, and 40.7% between the ages of 25 and 34.

Find your career footing

But don’t let these stats get you down!

Let’s fight the unemployment crisis with data, and this is exactly what LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team released this week.

They studied last year’s employment trends and noted the top industries recruiting fresh talents, as well as the most sought-after skills at entry-level jobs.

So, here’s the good news.

Hot industries, top jobs

Utilities industry in South Africa has emerged as the top pick for career starters, and companies are on a hunt for analytical skills.

Let’s dive in deeper, shall we?

Here are the industries in South Africa growing at warp speed:

• Utilities
• Education
• Financial Services
• Administrative and Support Service
• Oil, Gas, and Mining

Now let’s see what job positions are being scooped up the fastest in these industries:

• Utilities: Think roles such as Process Engineer, System Engineer and Software Engineer.
• Education: Positions like Teacher, Lecturer and Administrative Assistant are in demand.
• Financial Services: Opportunities abound for Financial Advisors, Software Engineers and Actuarial Analysts.
• Administrative and Support Services: Recruitment Consultant, Recruiter and Recruitment Administrator roles are heating up.
• Oil, Gas, and Mining: Mechanical Engineers, Geologists and Process Engineers, it’s your time to shine!

In-demand skills

What’s more, here are the skills that’ll make you a hot commodity:

• Analytical Skills
• Design
• Microsoft Excel
• Presentation Skills
• Research

All these insights and data come from the careful analysis by LinkedIn Economic Graph researchers: Carl Shan, Pingyu He, Caroline Liongosari, Nikhil Gahlawat and Winifred Okocha!