What can we say about the impact of the pandemic from an employment perspective, except that
two years later we find ourselves with a large gap to fill after massive layoffs two years earlier.
Canada has the highest number of job vacancies ever recorded in the first quarter, according to
Statistics Canada, at 957,500, an increase of more than 72% compared to the first quarter of 2020,
when the number of vacancies was 401,900. The last quarter of 2021 is almost 3% higher than the
first quarter of 2022.
Long before the pandemic, the health and social services system was already suffering from a
shortage of staff, with figures of 136,800 vacant positions. The circumstances surrounding Covid-19
have exacerbated the need in this area, resulting in a nearly 91% increase in vacancies in the first
quarter of 2022 compared to the first quarter of 2020.
In addition, there has been an increase in vacancies in the construction sector. Employers in this
sector were hoping to fill 81,500 positions. However, an increase of more than 7% has occurred over
time in terms of positions to be filled.
Moreover, there is an upward trend in manufacturing and retail trade. The latter is seeking to fill
114,600 jobs. The manufacturing sector, for its part, stood at 87,400 last quarter.
The professional, scientific and technical services fields were the least affected. On the other hand,
the accommodation and food services sector had 133,800 vacancies in the first quarter. Despite this,
there was a decrease of approximately 12% compared to the previous quarter.
On a nationwide basis, the proportions of the unemployment rate vary from province to province.
The lower the rate, the tighter the labour market and the greater the potential for labour shortages.
The Canadian Business Situation Survey (Q1-2022) shows that between January 4 and February 7,
recruiting qualified employees is an obstacle for almost two-fifths of businesses. Under the
circumstances, employee retention also appears to be a constraint.
The stringent measures put in place to counter the effects of the pandemic have finally taken their
toll on the job market. Since the numbers don’t lie, the question arises as to how long the difficulties
encountered in the face of this scourge will extend.
For more information on how to recruit workers abroad, please contact a member of InterCan
Solutions.