{"id":226886,"date":"2019-08-14T23:05:41","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T03:05:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/?p=226886"},"modified":"2019-08-14T23:05:41","modified_gmt":"2019-08-15T03:05:41","slug":"canadian-business-association-calls-federal-government-to-address-labour-shortages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/canadianinquirer.net\/v1\/2019\/08\/14\/canadian-business-association-calls-federal-government-to-address-labour-shortages\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian business association calls federal government to address labour shortages"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Canada\u2019s private sector job vacancy rate is maintaining record high levels, and a non-profit business organization is calling for all political parties in the upcoming Canadian federal election to take measures to tackle the labour shortage. (Unsplash Photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Canada\u2019s private sector job vacancy rate is maintaining record high levels, and a non-profit business organization is calling for all political parties in the upcoming Canadian federal election to take measures to tackle the labour shortage.<\/span><\/p>\n

The average job vacancy rate in Canada has been at 3.2 per cent for four consecutive quarters, according to a media release from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). That means 429,000 private sector jobs went unfilled for at least four months in the second quarter of 2019\u201423,000 more than the second quarter of 2018.<\/p>\n

\u201cAlthough it looks like vacancy measures may have topped out, there are still some under-performing job markets in Canada which, if corrected could still theoretically push the national average rate higher,\u201d the CFIB\u2019s Help Wanted report said.<\/p>\n

Vacancy rates are influenced by future outlooks, growth intentions, business size and firm-specific job characteristics.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re also seeing a strong pressure to increase wages in those firms that had vacant positions,\u201d Ted Mallet, CFIB\u2019s vice-president and chief economist, said in the release. \u201cWhile this rate of job vacancies can be a sign of a growing economy, we don\u2019t want labour shortages to become an obstacle to business success.\u201d<\/p>\n

This past quarter employers with at least one vacancy expected to raise the average organization-wide wage levels up by 2.3 per cent, while businesses without any job openings planned for a 1.5 per cent increase.<\/p>\n

Geography and industry sectors also play a part in determining vacancy rates.<\/p>\n

Vacancies by province<\/h3>\n

Private sector job vacancy rates were highest in British Columbia and Quebec, tied at 3.9 per cent.<\/p>\n

For Quebec this represents 116,000 unfilled jobs, and 74,700 for B.C.<\/p>\n

B.C\u2019s vacancy rate has gone up slightly since last year, while Quebec registered a minor decrease\u00a0from the first quarter of 2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ontario and New Brunswick came in around the national average; Ontario was on par at 3.2 per cent, while New Brunswick\u2019s rise to 3.1 per cent was still slightly below.<\/p>\n

Rates are trending up in parts of the country such as Manitoba, where the vacancy rate was 2.6 per cent this quarter. This figure represents 11,500 unfilled jobs.<\/p>\n

Prince Edward Island is now at 2.2 per cent after rising 0.2 per cent from the previous quarter, which is more than any other province. Newfoundland and Labrador the job vacancy rate went up to 2.0 per cent.<\/p>\n

There was no change in Nova Scotia which has a 2.3 per cent vacancy rate.<\/p>\n

Saskatchewan and Alberta\u2019s rates have dropped. In Saskatchewan, the private sector job vacancy rate decreased slightly to 2.1 per cent, representing 7,400 unfilled jobs. Alberta also saw a slight decrease to 1.9 per cent, which is the lowest in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Province<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Vacancy rate<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Change<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n

\n

Unfilled jobs<\/h4>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Quebec<\/td>\n3.9%<\/td>\n<\/td>\n116,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
British Columbia<\/td>\n3.9%<\/td>\n+0.1%<\/td>\n74,700<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Ontario<\/td>\n3.2%<\/td>\n-0.1%<\/td>\n169,900<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
New Brunswick<\/td>\n3.1%<\/td>\n+0.1%<\/td>\n7,400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Manitoba<\/td>\n2.6%<\/td>\n+0.1%<\/td>\n11,500<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Nova Scotia<\/td>\n2.3%<\/td>\n<\/td>\n7,100<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Prince Edward Island<\/td>\n2.2%<\/td>\n+0.2%<\/td>\n1,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Saskatchewan<\/td>\n2.1%<\/td>\n-0.1%<\/td>\n7,400<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Newfoundland & Labrador<\/td>\n2.0%<\/td>\n+0.1%<\/td>\n3,000<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Alberta<\/td>\n1.9%<\/td>\n-0.1%<\/td>\n31,300<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Variations by industry<\/h3>\n

The personal services industry maintained the highest vacancy rate at 4.9 per cent. Construction followed at 4.8 per cent. Hospitality came next at a vacancy rate of 3.7 per cent. Then agriculture, enterprise management, professional services, and health services tied at 3.4 per cent.<\/p>\n

The information sector had the lowest vacancy rate at 2.1 per cent.<\/p>\n

Canadian immigration programs filling labour markets<\/h3>\n

There are a number of programs available to help connect employers with highly-skilled workers looking to immigrate to Canada.<\/p>\n

Express Entry<\/h2>\n

While not a program in itself,\u00a0Express Entry<\/a>\u00a0is a system used by\u00a0Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada<\/a>(IRCC) to select economic class candidates for Canadian permanent residency via the following programs:<\/p>\n