Businesses Forecast Jobs Growth in East Africa

This positivity bolsters a stable business confidence index score which has remained almost unchanged in East Africa since October 2012.  

Key findings:

• · Globally, the Regus Business Confidence Index stands at 114 points, up 3 points from October 2012;
• · In East Africa the Index stands at 132 points, up 1 point from six months ago;
• · 58% of East African businesses report rising revenues and 46% increased profits over the past twelve months;
• · Almost a third (31%) of businesses plan to increase headcount by more than 5%;
• · Fully 56% think firms will hire more sales & marketing employees and 52% highlight operational staff.

 Peter Vieira, Area Director for East Africa and Zambia for Regus the global workspace provider says “ The stand out figures are not just that firms are looking to recruit but that their plan is to invest in sales and marketing, this shows that companies feel it’s the right time to go out there and sell.

 “These results suggest that sales and marketing professional will be in high demand in the coming months. Businesses need to consider how to recruit and retain the best in the field, ensuring they can remain competitive in their market.

“All trends indicate that offering flexible working will move from a ‘nice to have’ perk to a necessary condition of employment, being key to securing and retaining the best employees for any company. As, younger people come into the workforce they have a very different attitude to work, placing flexibility and quality of life above more traditional considerations. But flexible working also brings additional benefits helping businesses cut fixed office space costs and increase staff productivity."