Canada job vacancies increased in February with the labour shortages being most acute in British Columbia and Saskatchewan, the latest Statistics Canada data reveals.

“In Ontario, the number of vacant positions increased by 18,200, up 8.4 per cent, to 234,900 in February,” reports the statistical and demographic services agency.

“Alberta also saw an increase in vacancies of 9,900, up 13.7 per cent, to 82,500 in February.”

British Columbia has the highest job vacancy rate in Canada at 4.3 per cent and Saskatchewan the second-highest at four per cent while Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador have the lowest job vacancy rates at four and three per cent respectively.

“Job vacancies in Canada increased to 656,700 in February, up by 21,800, or 3.4 per cent from January,” notes Statistics Canada.

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Employment fell in seven out of 10 sectors of the Canadian economy in February, led by accommodation and food services which shed 10,000 workers, manufacturing which cut back on 9,500; and retail trade which saw 8,200 fewer employees that month.

“These declines were partially offset by gains in public administration, up 6,600 or half a percentage point, finance and insurance, up 6,400 or 0.8 per cent, healthcare and social assistance, up 5,200 or 0.2 per cent and real estate, rental and leasing which added 900 employees, up 0.3 per cent,” reports Statistics Canada.

In February, the monthly decline in accommodation and food services was largely concentrated in full-service restaurants and limited-service eating places, notes the agency in its Payroll Employment, Earnings And Hours, And Job Vacancies, February 2024 report.

In the retail sector, job losses were most evident among general merchandise retailers, furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers, and health and personal care retailers.

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“Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book and miscellaneous retailers … was the lone subsector to record a gain in February,” notes Statistics Canada.

Manufacturers saw their workforces shrink by 9,500 employees in February on the heels of a drop of 1,000 workers the previous month.

“The largest monthly declines in the sector were recorded in transportation equipment manufacturing down 2,100 employees … wood product manufacturing, down by 1,400 workers and machinery manufacturing which shed 1,000 workers,” reports Statistics Canada.

Governments In Canada Hired Even As Private Sector Labour Force Contracted

Despite these job losses in February, governments in Canada were hiring and their payroll employment rose by 6,600 or half a percentage point.

“Year over year, payroll employment in public administration increased by 56,500, up 4.5 per cent, in February,” reports Statistics Canada.

The financial sector also saw a bump up in employment as it added 6,400 more employees in February.

“The largest monthly gains in the sector were recorded in credit intermediation and related activities …  and securities, commodity contracts, and other financial investment and related activities,” notes Statistics Canada.

Workers in Canada earned a bit more in February as their average weekly earnings rose half a percentage point to $1,232 following a similar bump up the previous month.

“On a year-over-year basis, average weekly earnings grew by 4.5 per cent in February, following a 3.7 per cent increase in January,” notes Statistics Canada.

Under the Express Entry system, immigrants can apply for permanent residency online if they meet the eligibility criteria for one of three federal immigration programs, the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSW), Federal Skilled Trades Program (FST), and Canada Experience Class Program (CEC),  or a participating provincial immigration program.

Candidates’ profiles then are ranked against each other according to a points-based system called the Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS). The highest-ranked candidates will be considered for an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for permanent residence. Those receiving an ITA must quickly submit a full application and pay processing fees, within a delay of 90-days.

Through a network of Provincial Nominee Programs (PNP), almost all of Canada’s ten provinces and three territories can also nominate skilled worker candidates for admission to Canada when they have the specific skills required by local economies. Successful candidates who receive a provincial or territorial nomination can then apply for Canadian permanent residence through federal immigration authorities.

Canadian employers can also recruit and hire foreign nationals through the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP).

The Global Talent Stream (GTS), a part of the TFWP, can under normal processing situations lead to the granting of Canadian work permits and processing of visa applications within two weeks.