A new survey of the hiring intentions of Canadian employers across the country reveals which regions and industries are expecting to see employment growth in the rest of 2021.
More than 1,500 Canadian employers were asked about their recruitment plans for the fourth quarter of the year. Fully half of respondents, 50 percent of employers, say that they intend to increase staffing levels over the coming months. This is the strongest employment outlook that the Manpower Group has seen in the 40 years that they have been conducting this research.
In more good news for local job seekers, the Manpower report says that Atlantic Canada is currently seeing the most robust hiring climate since regional data was first analyzed in 2004. Employers in this region report an employment outlook that is up by 42 percentage points when compared with the previous quarter and up by 48 percentage points year-over-year.
Due to demographics, the study authors had more data for detailed analysis of the Halifax area than the rest of Atlantic Canada for the coming quarter. Halifax employees report bright hiring prospects, improving by 10 percentage points quarter-over-quarter and by 43 percentage points compared with this time last year.
Across the country, the hiring outlook is also strong in Ontario and Quebec (45 percent and 42 percent respectively) and more moderate in the Western Provinces (33 percent.)
Hiring by Sector
While the data indicates positive job growth across industries, several fields stand out for their hiring plans over the next few months.
The strongest hiring prospects are reported in the Manufacturing – Durables sector and the Construction sector, with Net Employment Outlooks of +52 percent and +50 percent, respectively. For Manufacturing particularly, the outlook is the strongest since the survey began in 1978, increasing by 33 percentage points quarter-over-quarter and by 35 percentage points when compared with this time one year ago.
The Services sector is also currently experiencing its strongest labour market since the Manpower survey began in 1978.
Another standout sector for hiring right now is the retail field. The retail sector is seeing the strongest hiring pace since 2000. Hiring intentions are up by 25 per cent over the previous quarter and 29 per cent year-over-year.
Read the full report from Manpower, including the local employment outlook for cities and towns across the country.