Unemployment may be high, but employers are still finding it difficult to fill key roles, according to a survey by talent management firm Right Management.
The survey asked senior executives at close to 200 firms across Canada about their ability to attract and retain top talent. Of those surveyed, 33% said they are consistently having difficulty filling certain jobs—a jump from 23% last year. Meanwhile, 59% said they have such difficulty on occasion—just a slight dip from last year’s 61%
Statistics Canada’s latest employment figures, released last week, show an improvement in the labour market, with more than 82,000 jobs being created last month—far higher than the 10,000 jobs economists had been expecting. And there was a slight drop in the unemployment rate as well, from 7.4% in February to 7.2% in March. But despite the positive numbers, employers are still struggling for talent. The Bank of Canada’s Business Outlook Survey, released yesterday, found that 27% of employers are facing a labour shortage that restricts their ability to meet demand.