Quebec has strongest employment outlook, followed by Ontario: report
Fifteen per cent of employers plan to increase staffing levels in the second quarter of 2021, while four per cent anticipate cutbacks, according to a survey by ManpowerGroup.
Meanwhile, 77 per cent expect current staffing levels to remain unchanged, finds the survey of more than 1,3000 employers.
Overall, Canada’s net employment outlook for the second quarter of 2021 stands at 11 per cent, marking a significant increase from the first quarter of the year and the fourth quarter of 2020 (both three per cent) and the third quarter of last year (down five per cent).
"An ongoing moderate hiring outlook for employers in the second quarter of 2021, in light of the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, can be interpreted as a positive trajectory," says Darlene Minatel, country manager of ManpowerGroup Canada. "With all 10 industry sectors expecting to hire in the upcoming quarter, there will be opportunities for jobseekers.”
However, net employment outlooks vary for employers of different sizes. Large corporations (+30 per cent) and medium-sized enterprises (+19 per cent) are far more positive in their hiring prospects in the next three months compared with small (+8 per cent) and micro (+3 per cent) employers.
More than eight in 10 (82 per cent) of employers globally say that they plan to hire this year, according to a survey by Monster released last month.
Regions, sectors
Quebec (+17 per cent) has the highest employment outlook among regions, followed by Ontario (+11 per cent) and Western Canada (+11 per cent). Atlantic Canada (+8 per cent) comes in last.
“All four regions of the country have positive employment outlooks for the second quarter of 2021 but job seekers in Atlantic Canada have the greatest challenge with a limited employment outlook anticipated. With widespread COVID-19 vaccination on the horizon, employers appear to be cautiously optimistic and open to flexibility in consideration of the post-pandemic chapter for business," says Minatel.
Canada’s employment tumbled by 213,000 or 1.2 per cent in January, according Statistics anada.
Among sectors, manufacturing - durable goods (+20 per cent) and public administration (+19 per cent) have the highest employment outlooks.
Transportation & utilities (+15 per cent); manufacturing - non-durable goods (14 per cent); finance, insurance & real estate (+13 per cent); services (+11 per cent); mining (+8 per cent); wholesale & retail trade (+7 per cent); construction (+6 per cent); and education (+2 per cent) follow.
