Job Growth in Canada Expected to Continue at a Healthy Pace Through the Remainder of 2013, Finds CareerBuilder.ca's Mid-Year Job Forecast
PR Newswire
TORONTO

TORONTO, July 12, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite economic uncertainty across the globe, Canadian employers have added more than 250,000 jobs over the last 12 months (Statistics Canada) and the trend is expected to continue through the end of the year. Forty-eight per cent of hiring managers say they are planning on hiring new permanent, full time employees between July 1 and December 31, 2013, an increase of 8 percentage points from this time last year. The Canadian national survey, which was conducted online by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.ca from May 14 to June 5, 2013 included more than 400 hiring managers and human resource professionals and more than 500 workers across industries and company sizes.

"Canada's job market continues to show growth in a variety of industries and is resulting in an unemployment rate that continues to trend down," says Brent Rasmussen, President of CareerBuilder North America. "Our survey tells us that employers will continue to invest in the areas of their companies that strengthen their brands, bring in new customers, and drive innovation."

Among employers planning to hire in the second half of 2013, they plan to add a variety of new employees, filling both full-time and other types of openings:

  • Planning to hire full-time, permanent employees – 48 per cent (up from 40 per cent a year ago)
  • Planning to hire other types of employees:
    • Part-time employees – 34 per cent
    • Contract/Temporary employees – 42 per cent
    • Interns – 25 per cent

Hiring in Metropolitan and Rural Areas

Job creation plans continue in big cities, though opportunities in outlying towns are becoming available as well.  Of employers who are hiring, 64 per cent say they will be hiring for positions in large metropolitan areas, while 46 per cent will be hiring in non-metropolitan, rural areas. 

Where Employers Are Hiring

The top functional areas for which businesses plan to hire in the second half of 2013 are those directly impacting and supporting revenue and innovation. Customer Service, sales, and IT positions are the top three areas that employers plan to hire for in the second half of 2013.

  • Customer Service – 33 per cent
  • Sales – 24 per cent
  • Information Technology – 22 per cent
  • Production – 17 per cent
  • Marketing – 17 per cent 
  • Accounting/Finance – 14 per cent
  • Research & Development – 14 per cent

Emerging Occupations

The workforce continues to evolve, and the need for workers with specialized skill sets is emerging.  When asked if their organizations plan to hire in specific areas in the second half of 2013, employers pointed to the following:

  • Positions tied to social media – 25 per cent
  • Positions tied to cloud technology – 20 per cent
  • Positions tied to financial regulation – 19 per cent
  • Positions tied to mobile technology – 19 per cent
  • Positions tied to cyber security – 18 per cent
  • Positions tied to health informatics – 16 per cent
  • Positions tied to global relations – 14 per cent

Changing Jobs

While there may be more job opportunities in the marketplace today, workers are staying loyal to their current companies, with only three in ten (30 per cent) stating they are likely or very likely to leave their current jobs in the next 12 months.

As the job market continues to strengthen, employers could be faced with more intense competition for in-demand talent.  Forty-eight per cent of employers are concerned that top talent will leave their organizations, up four percentage points from this time last year. Three in ten employers say they lost some of their top talent in the second quarter of 2013.

*Totals may not equal 100 per cent due to rounding.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within Canada by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder.ca among 475 Canadian hiring managers and human resource professionals and 552 Canadian workers (employed full-time; not self-employed; non-government) ages 18 and over between May 14 and June 5, 2013 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With pure probability samples of 475 and 552 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 4.5 and +/-4.17 percentage points, respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder.ca

CareerBuilder.ca is a leading job site in Canada.  Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), the Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder.ca powers the career centers for more than 250 Canadian partners that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. Job seekers visit CareerBuilder.ca every month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company and job type, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get advice on job hunting and career management.  For more information about CareerBuilder.ca products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.ca.

Media Contact
Michael Erwin
CareerBuilder
+1 773-527-3637
michael.erwin@careerbuilder.com 
http://www.twitter.com/CB_Canada_PR

SOURCE CareerBuilder.ca