Business owners have dealt with non-stop curveballs over the past 19 months and some industries have been slower to recover than others. Employers from coast to coast are struggling to keep their staff, especially in hard-hit sectors like hospitality and health care. And if you’re on the job hunt, these are some of the industries that could really use your help.
According to Statistics Canada, job vacancy rates went up across the country in the second quarter of 2021, which is the 3-month period between April 1st and June 30th. Ontario, Quebec, and BC were among the hardest hit. The vacancy rate was 25.8% higher than in the same quarter in 2019, equal to 150,300 more unfilled jobs.
Stat Can says the largest two-year increase in vacancies was in the health care and social assistance sector, representing one in seven unfilled jobs in Canada. The workplaces with the biggest shortages are hospitals and residential care facilities.
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The accommodation and food service industry recorded an all-time high for worker shortages. The ever-changing public health restrictions, especially in provinces like Ontario and Quebec, led to a major lack of kitchen helpers, food counter attendants and related support jobs.
The number of vacant jobs for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses doubled from 2019 to 2021. Nearly half of these jobs have gone unfilled for 90 days or more. Nurses are also being paid more per hour than they were two years ago. On average, the hourly wage today is $32.30, which is 5.9% higher than in 2019.
Other industries hiring the most right now include construction, where job vacancy rates have soared by 46.7% in two years, mostly in masonry, painting, electrical work, and building construction. Over one-third of construction businesses are struggling to find skilled employees.
The retail industry has been hard-hit, especially stores selling food, building material, and garden supplies. Retail salespeople, shelf stockers, and order filers were among the top 10 most vacant positions in this quarter. Manufacturing also saw major job losses of skilled workers, particularly food and wood product manufacturing.
If you’re ready for a career change, you might want to consider some of these industries for your next move. There’s definitely no shortage of opportunities.
