Skills Shortages and Job Satisfaction–Insights from the Gold-Mining Sector of South Africa

Abstract

The article reports on the levels of job satisfaction of mining-sector employees, as well as the perceived influence of skills shortages on the job satisfaction of these employees. The findings emanating from the study indicate that the respondents did experience job satisfaction, and that perceived skills shortages in two core occupational categories did not influence job satisfaction. The study has augmented the body of knowledge vis-à-vis the relationship between perceived skills shortages and job satisfaction. This is particularly important, since the mining industry remains a key driver of economic growth in South Africa, despite the negative perceptions that have beset the sector following the Marikana massacre of 2012.