Statistics Canada’s job vacancy report for this year’s third quarter (Q3) reflects a trend witnessed throughout the year. The country continues to face labour shortages, as employers were looking to close to a million (959,600) job vacancies.
A job is defined as vacant if:
- A particular position exists
- Work could begin within a period of 30 days
- The employer is actively looking for workers from outside the company to fill the position
The need for labour remains improved, although it is down 3.3% from the record-high number (993,200) of vacant positions seen at the beginning of the year. The “Land of Maple Leaf” had 1.1 persons for each job vacancy in the Q3 of 2022.
Average Wages Boost as Employers Look to Draw More Workers
Faced with a tough labour market, and enhanced difficulty hiring, numerous employers have looked to give a boost to the offered wages of vacant positions.
The average, compared with the same quarter a year earlier, offered hourly wage improved by 7.5% to $24.20 per hour.
Which Provinces in Canada Have the Most Job Vacancies?
Canada has made it to a new record high of job vacancies not only in the healthcare but social assistance sector as well. More than 150,100 positions were not filled in the Q3 of 2022.
The demand for a large number of healthcare workers has been constant since the COVID-19 pandemic started; IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has responded by eliminating obstacles to PR for physicians and investing millions into simplifying accreditation of foreign-educated healthcare professionals as Canada looks forward to addressing this historic labour shortage.
Other industries that witnessed a prominent number of vacancies included:
- Accommodation and food services with 140,000 job vacancies
- Construction, which witnessed its own historic high of 81,000 vacant positions
- Professional scientific and technical services with 63,100 job vacancies
Which Provinces in Canada have the most job vacancies?
Even though job vacancies remain high across the country, there are certain provinces that have had more growth in the number of open positions compared to others in Q3.
Manitoba and Saskatchewan both witness an increase in job vacancies in the third quarter of 10.7% as well as 7.5%. The significant percentage increase from quarter to quarter is telling the need for labour once again.
British Columbia, Quebec, and Ontario all witnessed reductions in the number of job vacancies compared to the second quarter (Q2) of this year. Despite this decline job vacancies continue to be high across the country:
- British Columbia: 155,400 vacancies
- Manitoba: 32,400 vacancies
- Ontario: 364,000 vacancies
- Quebec: 232,400 vacancies
- Saskatchewan: 24,300 vacancies
- Alberta: 103,380 vacancies*
- New Brunswick: 16,430 vacancies*
- Newfoundland and Labrador: 8,185 vacancies*
- Northwest Territories: 1,820 vacancies*
- Nova Scotia: 22,960 vacancies*
- Nunavut: 405 vacancies*
- Prince Edward Island: 4,090 vacancies*
- Yukon: 1,720 vacancies
*Not seasonally adjusted figures
Also, British Columbia and Quebec continued to have the highest job vacancy rate (the number of vacant positions to total labour demand (vacant and occupied positions)), at 6.2% and 5.8% respectively.
A Look Forward
As Canada looks forward to addressing the shortage in labour force, immigration has become a forefront concern for the Canadian government. The Express Entry system of programs, in 2023, is expected to witness a trend of targeted draws for those professionals that are in demand in the country.
In the wake of these sudden changes, statistics like job vacancies within a sector can provide some insight into which occupations are likely to be targeted by IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) for ITAs (Invitations to Apply) in 2023.
Moreover, Canada is already taking relevant measures to make the best use of its labour force within the country, granting OPWs (Open Work Permits) to families of LMIA-based work permit holders, and uncapping the number of hours that students from foreign countries can work until December 31st, 2023.
