Online Jobs: 266,797 Applications Chase 14,112 Vacancies— NBS

• Online Jobs: 266,797 Applications Chase 14,112 Vacancies

The National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, has said that over 266,797 online applications were made by Nigerians in respect of 14,112 vacancies that existed around the country in the third quarter of 2016.

This, according to an Online Recruitment Report for third quarter, Q3, published by NBS in collaboration with Jobberman Recruitment, the foremost recruitment service company in Nigeria, represents 67.3 percent decrease compared to 815,163 application made in the same quarter in 2015.

However, the number of vacancies increased slightly relative to the previous period. In the third quarter of 2016, there were 14,112 vacancies, compared to 14,005 in the third quarter of 2015. The Report indicated that trade/services sector remained the most preferable to online job seekers, attracting 40.7 percent of the total applications during the period.

The sector also accounted for 73.2 percent of total advertisement for job vacancies. “As in previous quarters considered, applications were concentrated in a few industries. In July and August, over half of all applications were made to the trade/services and consulting industries, although this fell to just under half (48 percent) in September. During the quarter, the top five most popular industries to receive the most number of applications accounted for over 70 percent of total application.

“In July and August, Consulting was the industry to attract the second largest number of applications, and accounted for 15,102 in July, and 11,939 in August, or 17.4 percent and 12.8 percent respectively,” the Report said.

The oil and gas/mining and engineering sectors attracted the highest amount of applications per vacancy. Although at 80 and 68 respectively, the numbers are low relative to the previous quarter in 2015. The Report further indicated that applicants were predominantly male (67.9 per cent) and well educated while 77.5 percent were educated to degree level or higher.

According to NBS, Lagos State accounted for the largest number of applicants and vacancies during the period, followed by Abuja with 7,624, or 10.3 percent of the total applications. This is a similar proportion to that recorded in the previous report (2016 Q1) of 10.4 per cent.