What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to investigate how employers interact with the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) and the factors influencing these interactions.

May 25, 2026Open Access

Investigating employer interaction with the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA)

Key Points

The study aims to investigate how employers interact with the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) and the factors influencing these interactions.
Survey methodology to assess employers' attitudes toward ESSA
Supplemental interviews with Labour Centre managers
Analysis of employer perceptions and skills needs in relation to recruitment channels
Employers' sectoral location significantly influences their interactions with ESSA services.
Perceptions of ESSA vary, affecting the utilization of government matching services.
Findings indicate a gap in employer engagement which limits the use of ESSA data for skills planning.

Abstract

The focus of the present study is to investigate employer interaction with the Department of Labour's Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA) system and to consider the status of ESSA in the context of employer perceptions of, and engagement with, various recruitment channels available to employers. The study explores how the actual sectoral location of employers, their skills needs, and their perceptions of ESSA services can influence how employers interact with the free government matching service. In turn, employer behaviour impacts on the extent to which ESSA's administrative data can be used as part of the system of demand-side data that is needed for skills planning purposes. To address these issues, a survey methodology was adopted that canvassed employers' attitudes to, interactions with and experiences of ESSA and was supplemented by a number of interviews with Labour Centre managers

Investigating employer interaction with the Employment Services of South Africa (ESSA)

Key Points

Abstract

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