Canada labour shortages hit 896,100 -opportunities for foreign workers
Statistics Canada reported that Canada faces massive labour shortages in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. These labour shortages represent opportunities for economic immigration to Canada.
There were 896,100 job vacancies in Canada at the start of December 2021, 2.5 per cent or 21,400, higher than at the beginning of November.
The number of vacancies remained below the recent peak of 988,300 observed in September 2021. However, there were 87.9 per cent more vacancies in December 2021 than in December 2020.
See StatsCan, Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, December 2021.
Canadian employers are desperately seeking to fill jobs in healthcare, construction, and the restaurant and hospitality sectors. The report says that these sectors are looking to temporary foreign workers and immigrants to fill the shortages.
Related: Job vacancies in Canada at near record highs – foreign workers needed and Over 1 million job vacancies in Canada – open for foreign skilled workers & students.
Key sectors with high labour shortages
Unsurprisingly, with the COVID-19 pandemic healthcare, social assistance, accommodation and food services continued to be the hardest hit with Canada labour shortages.
Job vacancies in health care and social assistance reached a record high in December, with employers actively recruiting to fill 137,100 vacant positions.
Restaurants, bars and catering services also continued to struggle as public health restrictions continued in December last year. These restrictions are being gradually lifted. Accommodation and food services, were down by 170,500 jobs or 12.7 per cent in December 2021.
Services that were held back by public health restrictions during the pandemic should boom as those restrictions are lifted.
In manufacturing, there were 73,900 vacant positions in December 2021 while there were 103,300 job vacancies in retail trade.
December 2021 Job vacancies in Canada and job vacancy rate, unadjusted for seasonality
Payroll employment – December 2021 | Job vacancies – December 2021 | Job vacancy rate – December 2021 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| thousands | thousands | % | |
| Sector aggregate | 16,341.3 | 896.1 | 5.2 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting | 229.8 | 11.1 | 4.6 |
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | 192.5 | 6.2 | 3.1 |
| Utilities | F | F | F |
| Construction | 1,119.6 | 61.8 | 5.2 |
| Manufacturing | 1,532.8 | 73.9 | 4.6 |
| Wholesale trade | 797.0 | 31.2 | 3.8 |
| Retail trade | 2,026.1 | 103.3 | 4.9 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 777.0 | 44.9 | 5.5 |
| Information and cultural industries | 369.6 | 19.3 | 5.0 |
| Finance and insurance | 772.2 | 38.7 | 4.8 |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | 271.3 | 11.5 | 4.1 |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | 1,092.9 | 64.1 | 5.5 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 121.7E | F | F |
| Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services | 818.0 | 63.2 | 7.2 |
| Educational services | 1,454.4 | 21.5 | 1.5 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,187.8 | 137.1 | 5.9 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 249.4 | 14.7 | 5.6 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,161.2 | 142.3 | 10.9 |
| Other services (excluding public administration) | 522.0 | 35.1 | 6.3 |
| Public administration | 517.8 | 10.7 | 2.0 |
See also Top 15 foreign workers jobs in demand in Canada – Updated.
