Statistics Canada has released results of the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey report for the second quarter of 2022. Overall, vacancies were up 4.7% from the first quarter of 2022 and 42.3% higher than the second quarter of 2021.
There are nearly one million job vacancies in Canada across all sectors, or an overall rate of 5.7%, an all-time high. Vacancies are calculated as the number of vacant positions as they correspond to total labour demand
3. Statistics Canada says the job vacancy
rate stands at 5.7% for the second
quarter of 2022.
Statistics Canada has released results of the Job
Vacancy and Wage Survey report for the second
quarter of 2022. Overall, vacancies were up 4.7%
from the first quarter of 2022 and 42.3% higher
than the second quarter of 2021.
There are nearly one million job vacancies in
Canada across all sectors, or an overall rate of
5.7%, an all-time high.Vacancies are calculated
as the number of vacant positions as they
correspond to total labour demand.
4. Wage increases in some sectors are
not matching the consumer price
index
The report found that the average hourly wage
offered across all sectors has increased by 5.3 %
over the second quarter of 2021. It currently
stands at $24.05 per hour.This rise is different
from the hourly average wages of all employees,
those currently employed, which rose only 4.1 %
in comparison.
These increases do not equal the rise in the
consumer price index (CPI), a key measure of
inflation.The CPI increased by 7.5% compared to
the same period in 2021.
5. Jobs in five sectors were most likely to reflect a
wage increase.The professional, scientific, and
technical sectors saw the largest increase, 11.3%,
to an average hourly wage of $37.05. Wholesale
trade jobs average $26.10 per hour.
Conversely, retail trade job wages rose only
5.7%, lower than the CPI and the healthcare and
social assistance rose only 3.6% over last year to
$25.85. Overall, the majority of job vacancies are
reporting hourly wages that are on par with, or
below , the CPI for the second quarter of 2022.
6. Vacancies are rising in six
provinces
Job vacancies rose in six provinces between the
first and second quarters of 2022. Ontario saw
the largest increase, rising 6.6% to a total of
379,700 job vacancies. Nova Scotia also
experienced a rise of 6%. British Columbia,
Manitoba, Alberta and Quebec saw rises
between 5.6% and 2.4%
The only province to show a decrease in job
vacancies was New Brunswick, which dropped
6.1% to 15,200 open positions.There was no
notable change in the remaining provinces and
territories.
7. There was an average ratio of 1.1
unemployed people for each job vacancy in
Canada.This is down from 1.3 people for each
job in the first quarter of 2022 and 2.3 people
from the same time last year.
Quebec and British Columbia report only 0.8
people for each job vacancy. Conversely,
Newfoundland and Labrador is outside the
average at 3.3 unemployed people for every
vacant job.
8. Vacancies per sector
Healthcare and social assistance
There was little change in the number of job
vacancies in the healthcare and social assistance
sector between the first and second quarter this
year, 135,300 to 136,100, or almost 6%. However,
it is up almost 29% from the second quarter of
2021. A shortage of staff has meant that some
hospitals have had to reduce services, such as
temporarily closing emergency rooms.
Manitoba is experiencing the highest job
vacancy rate in the healthcare sector at 6.7%.
9. Accommodation and food
services
Job vacancies in the accommodation and
food services sector rose a significant 12.7%
to 149,600 vacant jobs in the second quarter,
or an overall job vacancy rate of 10.9%.This is
the highest job vacancy rate across all sectors
and is particularly pronounced in the
Kootenay region of British Columbia.
10. Professional, scientific,
and technical services
Jobs in this sector reached a high of 74,600 job
vacancies, up nearly 8%, over the last quarter
and 79% higher than it was in the first quarter of
2020.Toronto, Montreal andVancouver and the
surrounding area accounted for over half of
these vacancies.
The largest rise was in occupations in the natural
and applied sciences, at 13.3%.Tech occupations
in the natural and applied sciences also
significantly rose this quarter to 9.6%.
11. What does it mean?
The high job vacancy rate combined with the low
rate of unemployment means some employers
are having difficulties filling vacant positions and
experiencing a longer hiring process.Through
the second quarter there were only 44 people
hired for every 100 vacancies. Canada’s labour
shortage is expected to become more acute into
2030 as over nine million Canadians reach the
retirement age of 65 and the birth rate remains
low at 1.4 children per woman.
