Jobs are scarce, but some Canadian companies are hiring in anticipation of a pickup in demand.
In the retail sector, hiring of seasonal workers typically picks up in November. But some other sectors are also adding to payrolls after a year of hiring freezes and layoffs.
A report last week showed the unemployment rate has risen to 8.6 per cent, and employers are shedding part-time positions. Full-time work, however, is growing and some sectors, such as finance and construction, are expanding their staff.
The question, for the 1.6 million Canadians who are out of work, is where are those jobs?
Here is a glimpses into the current hiring environment:
Tweet My Jobs:
The world's largest Twitter job board, tweetmyjobs.com, shows companies from St. John's to Vancouver are posting jobs. Here's a sample from the past two days:
- Store manager, 7-Eleven.
- Technology sales director, Accenture.
- Procurement team leader, Nova Scotia Power.
- Senior manager, Starbucks.
- Welding engineer, Atomic Energy of Canada.
- Shift leader, Blockbuster Canada.
- Ocean service analyst, Federal Express Canada.
- Senior financial analyst, Finance Department.
- Registered nurses, Hospital Nursing Solutions.
Workopolis.
Current postings on Canada's largest online job board include:
Retail
– Major grocery chains like Sobeys and Weston, owners of the Loblaw chain, are hiring, as are retailers Winners and Homesense.Hospitality
– foodservice management firm Sodexo is looking to fill a number of positions.Trades
– Shell Canada, Waste Management.Tech
– Microsoft.Financial
–TD, CIBC, RBC and Desjardins.Health
care – a number of Toronto-area health care providers, such as Toronto Rehab and St. Joseph's Health Centre are hiring.
Monster Canada.
Companies currently recruiting on the job site include:
- Mark's Work Wearhouse.
- Stantec.
- Executrade.
- Best Buy Canada Ltd.
- Century 21.
- Flight Centre.
- Sophos.
Among provinces, recruitment climbed in Ontario and Quebec in the third quarter amid stronger demand for workers in sales and service jobs, business, finance and administration jobs, and trades and transportation. Nova Scotia and New Brunswick also saw more online recruiting.
Statistics Canada.
Agriculture, construction, transportation and warehousing, education along with health care and social assistance increased employment last month, according to Statscan's labour force survey last week. Over the past year, the biggest job gains have occurred in the information, culture and recreation category.
The agency also releases a business survey of employment and payrolls, which gives greater detail on jobs but is less current.
In its most recent survey, payroll employment increases were in traveller accommodation, scheduled air transportation along with general medical and surgical hospitals. Motor vehicle parts makers expanded their head count, as did highway, street and bridge construction.
This year, three sectors have added staff: finance and insurance; arts, entertainment and recreation, and health care and social assistance.
