A new study by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business suggests that small businesses are having a hard time finding good help.
The CFIB research indicated there is a growing long-term vacancy rate that would amount to more than 233,000 jobs if they were all to be filled. The study considered a job vacant if it went more than four months without being filled.
The construction, agriculture and retail sectors figured prominently in the vacancies, though the decline was noted throughout all sectors CFIB said.
"The vacancy rate for the smallest companies - those with fewer than five employees - is four times that of the largest firms in the study," said CFIB president Catherine Swift. "Clearly, smaller firms are bearing the brunt of a nationwide shortage of qualified labour."
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The study looked at the number of businesses that had at least one job vacant for four months or more, and at the overall number of long-term job vacancies.
According to the study, 3.2 per cent of all positions in small- and medium-sized firms in Canada had been unfilled for at least four months in 2005, compared to 2.7 per cent in 2004.
Other findings show that 27 per cent of firms reported at least one such vacancy in 2005, compared to 23 per cent in 2004.
"All regions of Canada are presently facing a high long-term vacancy rate, but the shortage is greatest in Western Canada," Swift said.
CFIB's report entitled "Help·Wanted" can be found at www.cfib.ca.
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