The private sector in Canada has a lot of job vacancies and the non-profit sectors are urging the political parties in the upcoming Canadian election to address the labour shortage. This rate has been at 3.2 per cent for a year now, according to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB).
Canadian business association calls the federal government to address labour shortages
429,000 jobs went unoccupied in the second quarter (April, May and June) of 2019 with the Canadian immigration programs mentioning the need for talent. This figure is 23,000 more than the same period in 2018.
“Vacancy measures may seem depleted, but some under-performing job markets in Canada could still push the national average rate higher,” the CFIB said.
“We also see a strong push for pay increases in firms that had vacant positions,” Ted Mallet, CFIB’s vice-president and chief economist, said. “While this rate of job vacancies can indicate a growing economy, we don’t want labour shortages to affect business success.”
Factors that determine vacancy rates include geography and industry variations;
Geographically
By province, the rates of vacancies were highest in British Columbia, and Quebec job vacancy rates were up at 3.9 per cent representing 116,000, while B.C had 74,700 job vacancies.
B. C’s rate has increased slightly since 2018, while Quebec showed a small decrease from the first three months of 2019. Ontario has the national average at 3.2 per cent with New Brunswick’s 3.1 per cent slightly below that. Rates are increasing in parts such as Manitoba, where the rate was 2.6 per cent representing 11,500 unfilled jobs.
Prince Edward Island is now at 2.2 per cent after rising 0.2 per cent, more than any other province. Newfoundland and Labrador’s rate went up to 2.0 per cent. No change was seen in Nova Scotia with a 2.3 per cent rate. In Saskatchewan, the rate decreased to 2.1 per cent, representing 7,400 unfilled jobs. Alberta also saw a decrease to 1.9 per cent, the lowest in the country.
Province |
Vacancy rate |
Change |
Unfilled jobs |
| Quebec | 3.9% | 116,000 | |
| British Columbia | 3.9% | +0.1% | 74,700 |
| Ontario | 3.2% | -0.1% | 169,900 |
| New Brunswick | 3.1% | +0.1% | 7,400 |
| Manitoba | 2.6% | +0.1% | 11,500 |
| Nova Scotia | 2.3% | 7,100 | |
| Prince Edward Island | 2.2% | +0.2% | 1,000 |
| Saskatchewan | 2.1% | -0.1% | 7,400 |
| Newfoundland & Labrador | 2.0% | +0.1% | 3,000 |
| Alberta | 1.9% | -0.1% | 31,300 |
