Employment drops sharply

EMPLOYMENT fell sharply last month as employers in sectors affected by seasonality, such as retail trade, reduced staff following the end of the festive period, according to data from recruitment company Adcorp.

Adcorp’s employment index, released yesterday, fell by an annualised 3.2%, reflecting that the economy shed 51 495 jobs during the month.

The index is regarded as the most representative monthly barometer of employment trends in South Africa, but does not usually tally with data from Statistics South Africa.