The demand for workers is heating up and there are signs that it will soon be a job seekers’ market in Canada. According to Statistics Canada, the Canadian economy added over 230,000 new jobs last month.
Restaurants are reopening and inviting guests back inside as restrictions ease. Many say that finding the staff that they need to get back up to capacity is their biggest challenge right now.
“There are more job postings available in the labour market than there are workers who are willing to fill those vacancies,” University of Waterloo economics professor Mikal Skuterud told Global News.
It seems like a long time ago now, but under two years ago – before the pandemic struck – many sectors and regions of the country had been experiencing labour shortage conditions. This is a common struggle in the restaurant and retail sectors. These two industries saw the greatest gains in job creation in June. This trend is likely to speed up as the threat of the virus eases as more and more Canadians are vaccinated.
Last week the Business News Network (BNN) reported that want ads for roles in the food preparation and service sectors suddenly skyrocketed in June, reaching over 37 percent higher than they were before the pandemic.
Where are the labour shortages?
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business recently reported that 38 percent of its membership across sectors had their growth limited by a shortage of skilled labour to fill their roles.
Along with retail and hospitality, labour shortages are particularly acute right now in the agriculture, finance & real estate, manufacturing, and professional services sectors, according to the CFIB.
If you’ve been looking to change jobs or start something new, this summer and into the fall could be a great time for entering the labour market. Opportunities are becoming more plentiful, and as employers are forced to compete for workers, they often have to sweeten the deal with increased perks, more flexibility, and higher wages.