Help is wanted in southern Alberta.
According to Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL), there are approximately 6,000 job vacancies in the Lethbridge-Medicine Hat region.
The latest data shows that since the start of the year, the participation rate for the Lethbridge census metropolitan area (CMA) alone has dropped 5.8 per cent.
That rate shows a reduced labour supply, something local employment specialists have noticed.
“It’s a job-seekers markets right now,” said Barb Wolstoncroft, the Teamworks Career Centre’s manager.
“Employers are desperately looking for good, skilled workers.”
The centre hosts job fairs throughout the year in Lethbridge and Wolstoncroft sees more companies taking part as they look to fill postings.
The latest event featured 49 employers, almost double the amount that attended a similar fair held earlier in the spring.
“In four hours they can meet with a number of employees and screen them,” Wolstoncroft said.
“It makes for an efficient process and we already had about 34 people employed from the job fair – day-of.”
Last month’s employment numbers are offering some potential balance.
The Lethbridge CMA unemployment rate rose to 5.3 per cent, meaning there may be more people now looking for work.
Another space adding to the workforce is post-secondaries.
“Our industry partners tell us that they are interested in hiring candidates who are well-rounded, with foundational technical skills combined with competencies in effective problem-solving and information management, project experience, and communication skills,” a statement from University of Lethbridge Career Bridge academic director Stacey Gaudette-Sharp reads in part.
In order to attract those prospective employees, experts say companies’ strategies are changing.
“Employers are really driving themselves to want to invest in employees and provide good cultures that keep employees longer-term,” Wolstoncroft said.
EDL says skilled trades, equipment operators and Class 1 drivers are still the city’s biggest needs.