The South Australian jobs market is finally showing signs of recovery.

A recent employment outlook survey shows 14% of the state's bosses intend to employ more workers by the end of the year. The survey involved 2333 employers.

"The job market in South Australia is looking significantly better when compared to the historic lows seen in the second quarter of this year," Manpower managing director Lincoln Crawley says. "One of the defining characteristics of this downturn has been the way in which different industry sectors have felt the pain", he says.

"For example, the manufacturing sector suffered two consecutive quarters of negative outlooks, although it has now returned to positive territory. Conversely, the services sector has weathered the storm well, never straying into negative territory, with employers reporting the most optimistic hiring intentions among all of the sectors surveyed for the fourth quarter"

Recruiter Hays says permanent IT staff will be high in demand over the next 12 months, along with sales professionals and engineers. "This is a good sign that employers are thinking about their future recruitment needs again in certain areas," Hayes regional director Peter Noblet says. "The focus on sales professionals isn't surprising, given the general focus on revenue generation, while engineering firms have remianed busy...and healthy vacancy activity is a key feature of this market."