- Latest Research on Intended Occupations of Recent Immigrants
- Major Employers and Employment in Peel
- Current and Future Employment Prospects and Issues: Peel, Ontario and Canada
III. Current and Future Employment Prospects and Issues: Peel, Ontario and Canada
A review of the literature on the Canadian labour market reveals a wide range of factors giving rise to a labour shortage in the coming decades. Chief among the factors responsible for the shortage are Canada’s aging labour force, its low birth rate, the seeming reluctance of young Canadians to work in the skilled trades, and the rise of new industries and occupations for which new knowledge and skill sets are required (for example, bio-technology, environmental management technologies, etc.).
Occupations experiencing or expected to experience labour shortages: Canada, 2006-2015
| Occupational Group | Occupations | Currently showing signs of shortages | Expected to face shortage pressures 2006-2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Business, finance and administration | Senior management | Yes | Yes |
| Human resources managers | Yes | Yes | |
| Human resources and business service professionals | Yes | Yes | |
| Natural and applied sciences | Civil engineers | Yes | Yes |
| Mechanical engineers | Yes | No | |
| Computer engineers | Yes | No | |
| Software engineers | Yes | No | |
| Health occupations | Managers in health, education, social and community services | No | Yes |
| Physicians, dentists and veterinarians | Yes | Yes | |
| Optometrists, chiropractors and other health diagnosing and treating professionals | Yes | Yes | |
| Therapy and assessment professionals | Yes | Yes | |
| Head nurses and supervisors | Yes | Yes | |
| Other technical occupations in health care (except dental) such as registered nursing assistants, audiology technicians and physiotherapy technicians | Yes | Yes | |
| Medical radiation technologists | Yes | Yes | |
| Nurse aides and orderlies | Yes | Yes | |
| Other aides and assistants in support of health services | Yes | Yes | |
| Social science, education, government service and religion | Managers in public administration | No | Yes |
| Lawyers and Quebec notaries | Yes | No | |
| University professor | Yes | No | |
| Art, culture, recreation and sport | Editors | Yes |
No No |
| Professional occupations in public relations and communications | Yes | No | |
| Sales and service | Accommodation service managers | Yes | No |
| Real estate agents and salespersons | Yes | No | |
| Trades, transport and equipment operators & related occupations | Residential home builders and renovators | Yes | Yes |
| Contractors and supervisors, trades and related workers | Yes | Yes | |
| Occupations specific to the primary industry | Supervisors, oil and gas drilling and service | Yes | Yes |
| Oil and gas well drillers, servicers, testers and related workers | Yes | Yes | |
| Occupations specific to processing, manufacturing & utilities | Supervisors, processing occupations, such as in petroleum, gas and chemical processing and utilities, and plastic and rubber products manufacturing | Yes | Yes |
Source: HRDC, Strategic Policy Research Directorate, Looking –Ahead: A 10 Year Outlook for the Canadian Labour Market (2006-2015), October 2006.
Labour shortages in Canada
While shortages are expected to arise in the majority of the occupational areas, there are 5 areas that seem to be poised for the most severe shortages:
- Business, finance and administration
- Health occupations
- Trades, transport and equipment operators & related occupations
- Occupations specific to the primary industry (especially in oil, gas, mining, and fisheries)
- Occupations specific to processing, manufacturing & utilities
Occupations expected to experience NO labour shortages in Canada (by 2015):
- Mechanical engineers
- Computer engineers
- Software engineers
- Lawyers
- University professors
- Editors
- Professional occupations in public relations and communications
- Reccommodation service managers
- Real estate agents and salespersons
Good Job Prospects in Peel
Among the most common, current occupations of Peel residents, the short-term labour market prospects appear to be good for machine operators in manufacturing; and trade helpers, construction and transportation labourers and related occupations.
Limited Job Prospects in Peel
Among the most common, current occupations of Peel residents, the prospects do not appear to be good for clerical occupations.
New Jobs in Ontario
Projections to the year 2009 indicate that the main source of new job creation in Ontario will be the service industries. The jobs expected to have the best prospects in 2009 are: managers in health care and managers in the restaurant and food service industries (www.ontariojobfutures.ca).
Retirement and Labour Shortages in Canada
According to the Retirement Wave Study (2003) thousands of aging baby boomers will be approaching retirement during the next decade. While they will have a significant impact on the labour force, not all industries will be affected at the same time. Education will likely be one of the first industries to feel the retirement crunch. Managers and professionals, particularly those in education and health care, will lead the upcoming retirement wave. (Statistics Canada, February 2003).2
New Jobs in Canada
Total employment in Canada is expected to grow from 16.2 million in 2005 to 18.1 million in 2015 - an average annual growth rate of 1.1%. The Canadian economy should create about 1.9 million new jobs over the next 10 years.3
2 Statistics Canada. (2003. February 21). The Retirement Wave. The Daily.
3 Mario Lapointe, Kevin Dunn, Nicolas Tremblay-Côté, Louis-Philippe Bergeron and Luke Ignaczak (2006). Looking-Ahead: A 10-Year Outlook for the Canadian Labour Market (2006-2015). Ottawa: Human Resources and Social Development Canada.
Potential employers for the top 10 intended occupations of recent immigrants
What are the implications of the labour shortages in Peel, Ontario and Canada for the top intended occupations of recent immigrants in Peel?
- There seems to be a positive fit between some of the intended occupations of recent immigrants in Peel and the labour market skills shortages experienced by employers. These occupations are: civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics engineering, and financial management.
- Almost all intended occupations of recent immigrants in Peel are “white collar” occupations. However, the shortages are in the skilled trades in Peel.
- There are some commonalities or similarities between the top 10 intended occupations of new immigrants in Peel and the top 10 most searched occupations on the Government of Canada’s on-line Working in Canada Tool. The occupations sought the most by prospective immigrants to Canada, new immigrants in Peel, and Canadians as a whole tend to be:
- Computer engineers/programmers
- Financial managers
- Accountants
- Electrical and electronics engineers
- Mechanical engineers
What this means is that new immigrants in Peel are competing with already established Canadian workers for employment in these areas. All other things being equal, the Canadians would tend to have more “Canadian” experience in these occupations and, therefore, more likely to be offered employment.