The number of jobs advertised in selected print and online media, which partially gauges labour demand in the economy, decreased in April 2026, the May 2026 Monetary Policy Report has disclosed.

This was relative to what was observed in the corresponding period a year ago.

In total, 2,818 job adverts were recorded as compared with 3,388 for the same period in 2025, indicating a decline of 16.8% year-on-year.

On a month-on-month basis, the number of job vacancies in April 2026 declined by 5.7% from the 2,988 jobs advertised in March 2026.

Cumulatively, for the first four months of 2026, the total number of advertised jobs dipped by 5.4% to 12,326 from 13,036 recorded during the same period in 2025.

Meanwhile, the total number of private sector SSNIT contributors, which partially gauges employment conditions, improved by 5.4% to 1,135,379 in March 2026.

This is compared with 1,077,569 for the same period in 2025.

On a month-on-month basis, the total number of private sector SSNIT contributors remained largely unchanged from the 1,132,225 individuals recorded in February 2026.