In most surveys circulating since the year began, job instability or
the fear of being out of work
is one of the main concerns.
This impression has its correlation in the opinion of Human Resources specialists: the percentage of those who plan to hire new collaborators throughout this new year
is the lowest in the last three years:
65%, six percentage points less than in 2022 and 10 less than in 2021.
The data arises from the Balance 2023 and Expectations 2024 study by Bumeran, the employment portal that collects data from different countries in the region.
Among those who plan to increase the workforce at the local level, 32% plan to increase it by 10%;
26% consider doing so; 5%;
and 15% plan to expand it by 15%.
On the other hand,
28% of Human Resources experts plan to “reduce” staff.
“This is the lowest number in the region, since Ecuador plans to reduce it by 45%;
in Peru, 33%;
in Chile, 31%;
and in Panama, 29%,” the report stated.
How large would the workforce reductions be in Argentina?
33% of organizations would reduce it by 20%;
another 33% plan to reduce it by 5%;
22% would do it more than 30%;
and 11% would implement it by 30%.
Another piece of information revealed by the study shows that neither Human Resources specialists nor workers know what the situation of the labor market in the country will be like this year.
The majority of those who hire personnel, 34%,
could not specify whether their projection for 2024 is positive or negative
.
28% believe that the world of work in the new year will be worse;
19% that will remain the same;
and 18% consider that it will improve.
“We are in a moment of transition between
very different economic and State
models .
It is expected that a large number of reforms will be defined that will directly and indirectly impact the world of work and, without a doubt, in the coming days new measures will be added to this panorama of change.
In this context,
there are still no certainties regarding the direction that 2024 may take in terms of employment,”
explains Federico Barni, CEO of Jobint, the group that controls Bumeran.
This uncertainty regarding the year that began is only replicated in Panama, a country that is preparing for the presidential elections in May, where 40% of personnel recruiters
cannot have a clear outlook on the country's labor future.
In Chile 12% chose this option;
in Peru 10%;
and in Ecuador only 6%.
254 Human Resources specialists and 20,476 workers participated in the Bumeran regional study.
The research was carried out in Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Panama and Peru, and explored the perception of the work year that has passed and what is expected of the one that has just begun.
In previous editions of the study, the majority response regarding the perception of the new year was positive and specialists projected an improvement in the world of work.
In 2021, 39% believed that the labor market situation would be better for the following year;
In 2022, 40% felt this way.
In 2023, only 18%.
In Argentina, Human Resources experts who consider that the situation during 2024 will be worse point to the impact of the
country's economic context on the labor market as causes (68%);
that salaries are going to lose value in relation to
inflation (64%)
;
that there will be fewer jobs (36%);
that there will be a flight of talents to other countries (12%);
and other reasons (4%).
Regarding the expectations that local workers have for this year.
According to this survey,
45% hope to get a job and stop being unemployed;
20% hope to change jobs;
16% remain very optimistic;
6% have no expectations at the moment;
another 6% do not believe they will change jobs;
4% expect a promotion;
and 2% do not believe they can get a job.
NE