The Labour Force Survey (LFS) reported that the average hourly wage paid to workers during the second quarter of 2020 was $24.05. It represents an increase of 5.3% since the same period in 2019.
However, this figure does not account for the fact that many jobs offer lower wages than the average. In fact, according to the LFS, the average hourly wage in the construction sector fell by 0.2%.
This rise does not match the Consumer Price Index (CPI) increase. The CPI grew by 7.5% during the same period. However, the LFS noted that there are several reasons why this discrepancy exists. For example, the LFS pointed out that many industries saw a decrease in employment during the same period. Therefore, fewer people earned money. Another reason is that the LFS did not include overtime pay in the calculation.
Some economists believe this difference reflects employers offering workers less money because of COVID-19.
In addition, the LFS stated that the number of hours worked each week decreased slightly while the cost of living remained relatively stable. As such, the CPI still showed a significant rise.
According to the LFS, jobs in five sectors were most like to reflect a wage increase: retail trade, health care; professional and technical services; financial activities; and accommodation and food services.
Which Six Provinces in Canada Witnessing High Job Vacancies?
According to Statistics Canada data published Friday, Canada’s unemployment rate fell slightly to 5.9%. However, there was little change in the number of jobs advertised across the country. Job vacancies increased in six Canadian provinces during the second quarter of 2020.
Ontario had the highest job openings, with 3,828, followed by Saskatchewan, with 3,726. Newfoundland and Labrador came in third place with 3,567 job openings.
British Columbia, Alberta, and Quebec rounded out the top five with increases between 5.6% to 2.4%.
The only province to see a drop in job vacancies was New Brunswicker, which went down 6.1% to a total of 15,200 open positions, while Prince Edward Island showed a slight decline of 0.3%.
There was no notable change in employment opportunities in the other provinces and territories.
Regarding labor force participation rates, women accounted for 55.2% of Canadians aged 25 to 64, while men represented 44.8%. It means a difference of 10.4 percentage points.
The unemployment rate among men stood at 7.0% compared to 4.0% for women. Men held 13.2 million jobs in June 2020, while women had 8.5 million.
Sector-wise Vacancy Segregation
The job vacancy rate in the health care and social assistance sector increased to 9.6% in Q2 2020 from 8.8% in Q1 2020.
There was little change in the total number of job vacancies in this sector between the first and third quarters of this year, 135,200 to 136,600, or almost 6%. However, it was up 29.4% from the second quarter of 2021. A staff shortage has led to some hospitals closing emergency departments while others are reducing services.
Manitoba is experiencing the highest job opportunity rate in the healthcare sector, at 6.7%, followed closely by Ontario at 5.5%. These provinces account for about half of Canada’s population.
The accommodation and food service industry was the most notable increase in job openings. Vacancy rates in this sector increased by 12.7%, while the total number of vacancies increased by 5.3%. The most significant gains were in the construction, building materials, and related trades, with 2,700 additional vacancies.
Low-Wage Occupations are witnessing More Job Vacancies.
The number of vacant jobs increased slightly faster among low-wage occupations than in high-wage professions in the Q3 of 2019 and 2020. It is according to findings published by Statistics Canada.
In the third quarter of 2019, 20% of occupations in the lowest wage quintile (the first quintile of trades ranked based on average weekly earnings) accounted for 35.5% of employees and 49.8% of job vacancies. In the third quarter of 2020, these same occupations represented 33.6% of employees and 51.2% of vacancies.
By comparison, 20% of the most highly paid occupations (the fifth quintile of trades ranked on average weekly earnings) represented 10.0% of vacancies in the same period, down 0.7 percentage points from the previous quarter. These positions tend to require management, engineering, science, technology, law, finance, accounting, medicine, and education.
How is the Increase in Vacancy Shrinking the Unemployment in Canada?
Since the end of the third quarter of 2021, the Labour Force Survey (LFS) has recorded improving labor market circumstances. Total employment rose in every province and territory except Prince Edward Island. New entrants into the workforce grew faster than those exiting it, contributing to overall growth. Job openings continued to increase across most industries and regions, although declines occurred in some sectors where businesses had temporarily closed due to COVID-19. Wages posted substantial gains in many provinces and territories.
In October and November, total employed persons increased by a combined 185 000 (+1.0%) compared to September. It followed a gain of 131 000 (+1.6%) in August. Employment rose in every region of the country except Newfoundland and Labrador. The unemployment rate declined slightly during the same period, falling to 5.9%. Although this represented a decline from the previous month, it remained near its lowest level since late 2016.
Statistics Canada will continue to monitor labor market conditions through monthly Job Vacancy and Wage Surveys (JVWS). These surveys provide detailed data about the number of jobs and the average wages paid to workers in specific occupations. They are conducted among employers who hire temporary employees.
Conclusion:
There was an increase in vacancies in the accommodation and food services industry. • Low-wage occupations saw more job openings during the pandemic.
The bank expects the gross domestic product to contract by 2.4 percent in 2020 after acquiring by 3.4 percent in 2019. It also forecasted GDP would rebound to 4.6 percent in 2021.
It is the best time to secure a job in Canada, according to Dynamic Group Immigration Consultants. The Canadian economy added nearly 3,37,000 new jobs, bringing the national unemployment rate down to its lowest level.
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