Canadians taking fewer holidays, earning less in 2020: report

Extended periods of unemployment are impacting workers’ skills and mental health while making it more difficult for employers to fill open roles, according to a new survey by the Harris Poll on behalf of Express Services Inc.

The survey, which polled more than 500 employers and 500 employees, found among unemployed workers, more than a quarter (27 per cent) have been out of work for more than two years. The primary reasons for unemployment were quitting a role (33 per cent) and being laid off (17 per cent).

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Roughly two-fifths of unemployed respondents said the biggest impacts were gaps in work experience (44 per cent), deterioration of skills (42 per cent) and decreased confidence (40 per cent), while a third cited reduced networking opportunities (30 per cent) and decreased awareness of industry trends (29 per cent).

Among employers, a third (32 per cent) said they have open positions they can’t fill, attributed mainly to a lack of applicants with relevant experience (45 per cent) and a lack of applicants with hard skills (44 per cent) and soft skills (32 per cent).

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of companies said deterioration of both hard and soft skills is a main impact of being unemployed for an extended period of time, especially among employees aged 18 to 26.

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