Examination of the data collated by the Ministry of Labour and Social Security (MLSS) reveals that new occupa-tions in high demand during the quarter January 1 to March 31, 2009, include maintenance workers and receptionists/front-desk clerks.

Hottest jobs for the quarter were placed by organisations in the services (comprised 65 per cent) and goods-producing (comprised 35 per cent) sectors.

The demand for technical/ maintenance help led all sectors. There were 141 advertisements for maintenance workers, followed by 123 for sales representatives and 107 for managers.

Total number of posts advertised

Over the quarter January to March 31, 2009, the total number of posts advertised was 1,321.

Most advertisements from May 1, 2002 to March 31, 2009, were for persons who fall in the "profes-sionals, senior officials and tech-nicians" categories. The occupa-tions in these groups which were most requested were teachers, lecturers, accountants, engineers, marketing/sales/brand managers and principals. Next were "service workers, shop and market-sales workers", which included top occupations, such as sales representatives, bartenders and cooks/chefs.

The clerical group was the third-highest category. The most requested occupations from this group were receptionists, customer or client-services representatives, cashiers and typists/secretaries. The elementary occupation group was the fourth-highest, and the job featuring prominently in this group was domestic helper.

In its eight-year review, the MLSS notes that for the period May 2002 to 31 March 2009, leading occupations were those listed for teachers, directors and sales representatives as the most frequently advertised vacancies. The hottest jobs were mainly observed in education, sales, administration and hospitality.

Most frequently advertised

The positions most frequently advertised were for teachers (8,286), managers (8,053), sales represen-tatives (5,869) and household workers (4,484). Teachers were required to have a bachelor's degree, as well as a diploma from a teacher-training college. The total number of vacancies for lecturers over the period stood at 2,120. Most employers sought persons who had completed postgraduate certifi-cation, such as a master's degree, doctorate or a postgraduate diploma. In some cases, they were also required to have a diploma from a teacher-training college.

The qualifications for managers were more varied and included degrees in finance, business, management studies, accounts and human-resource management, as well as engineering and marketing depending on the organisation. Vacancies for directors expected candidates to be equipped with a master's degree, especially a Master's in Business Administration.

avia.collinder@gleanerjm.com

The 10 hottest jobs based on advertisements

1. Maintenance workers (141)

2. Sales representatives (123)

3. Managers (107)

4. Domestic helpers (87)

5. Bartenders (57)

6. Cooks/bakers/chefs (56)

7. Bearers/drivers (52)

8. Janitors/handymen (36)

9. Receptionists/front desk clerks (34)

10. Lecturers/teachers (30)

Source: Ministry of Labour and Social Security survey released May 2009.

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