The latest hiring study from the ManpowerGroup is indicating that job seekers in Ontario should expect “a period of vigorous opportunity” for the third quarter of 2022, thanks to businesses “adjusting well” to the volatility experienced amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The latest Employment Outlook Survey says over 50 per cent of employers plan to hire between July and September, up nine per cent compared with the Q2 survey.
Around 10 per cent of employers anticipate cutbacks, 36 per cent plan to maintain current staffing levels, and two per cent are unsure of their hiring intentions.
“So 52 per cent of employers, specifically in the manufacturing and logistics industries, are looking to add a lot of additional headcount to their companies and organizations,” Natasha Djukic of Manpower’s Stoney Creek office told 900 CHML’s Good Morning Hamilton.
“I think that the majority of Hamiltonians are really feeling that and we should see the ripple effect … coming in the next couple of months. ”
The survey of more than 1,000 employers across Canada suggests 47 per cent plan to increase staffing levels in the third quarter with 11 per cent anticipating cutbacks for an increase in net employment of 36 per cent.
Canadian manufacturers are presenting the strongest outlook, with over 55 per cent saying they will be adding staff over the next three months.
Primary production — that is, jobs tied to acquiring raw materials — will also see expansion with about 53 per cent expecting to add bodies.
Over 40 per cent of Canadian IT/telecom businesses as well as banking and finance expect to add staff in the third quarter.
Djukic believes manufacturing is at the top of the need list in the recent survey due to “business volatility” triggered by the start of the pandemic in 2020.
“Going into 2022, we’re … really starting to see that bounce back,” Djukic said.
“I don’t think the supply is necessarily meeting the demand, which is why we think that a lot of companies are really struggling to find people.”
Canada’s unemployment rate fell to record lows in April even as the pace of job creation slowed, suggesting a tightening of the labour market.
Statistics Canada revealed the jobless rate fell 5.2 per cent in April as the economy added 15,300 jobs.
That’s down slightly compared with the previous record low unemployment rate of 5.3 per cent set in March when 72,500 jobs were added.
In March, Ontario hit 5.3 per cent, the first time that number returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Hamilton’s unemployment rate was 5.3 per cent — significantly lower than the 6.6 per cent seen in June 2020 during the height of the pandemic.
Despite the decline, Ontario is still expected to have the brightest outlook in terms of job demand in Canada, along with the northern territories showing third-quarter hiring rates (over 50 per cent) based on a small sample size.
About 39 per cent of employers in Quebec and Western Canada say they will be looking to add workers in Q3.
“These survey results indicate a period of vigorous opportunity for job seekers. Eight quarters of consistent growth for Canada’s Net Employment Outlook suggest that employers have adjusted well to business volatility triggered by the pandemic,” said Darlene Minatel of ManpowerGroup Canada in a release.
Djukic said there’s no “magic formula” for industries looking to drive candidates to their businesses, suggesting that increased compensation and job perks will likely have to be dangled by many to satisfy demand.
“A lot of companies are choosing … not to have their employees go back (to offices) and that’s a very big driving force and attractiveness for a lot of people,” Djukic said.
“We all know what the gas prices look like right now, so anything a company or an organization can do in order to draw in candidates.”
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