Worker shortage creates crisis in Canada
Canada is facing a hiring crisis. You'd think that workers hit hard by the pandemic would be scrambling for work, but things have changed.
Gone are the days when employers would post a job and the resumes would start pouring in. According to a new study from the Business Development Bank of Canada, small- and medium-sized businesses across the country can't find enough workers to fill job vacancies.
Just ask Harj Samra, chief revenue officer for PocketPills, a Surrey-based online pharmacy. Just before the pandemic hit, the company was in expansion mode.
"There's more technology companies that are also requesting the same engineers that we want," Samra said.
He says it has been a challenge as the operation expanded into Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia, and more recently Alberta.
"Small businesses owners have been put through the wringer during COVID," said Dan Kelly, CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.
The Business Development Bank of Canada’s study shows that 55 per cent of small- and medium-sized businesses across the country have been unable to fill job vacancies for three or four months, and 26 per cent are having trouble retaining workers.
"The pandemic has been difficult for a lot of people, so we saw more Canadians retire during the pandemic than before," said Pierre Cléroux, BDC chief economist.
Retirements are expected to remain high at least until 2026, and 20 per cent of workers who lost their jobs during the pandemic changed their field of employment.
Some of the hiring difficulties include a lack of candidates, lack of skills and lack of experience.
The BDC study suggests employers need to be more flexible in hiring by allowing people to work from home, offering more compensation and benefits and more internal training. They also need to set up formal recruitment procedures.
"So if you are able to offer this flexibility, you might be able to win some talent," added Cléroux.
Over the past 12 months, the BDC says businesses have offered more flexible work arrangements, trained less-qualified workers and recruited younger workers and students.
"We've been hiring both our own internal recruiters and outside recruiters to help," said Samra.
PocketPills also relies heavily on automation, which the BDC says is key to relieving some of the strain brought on by worker shortages. The company has an automated pill dispensing system that also checks the prescriptions to make sure they are correct and has a system to automate response to about 1,000 text messages a day. Samra says that allows them to serve 15 million Canadians with same-day delivery.
The BDC study shows that 61 per cent of businesses that adopted new technologies and automation find it very easy or somewhat easy to hire.
However, machines still won't replace people. During the pandemic, immigration dropped substantially, but the federal government has ramped up programs and hopes to add more than 400,000 new residents in 2021.
"Honestly, the shortage of labour is very gripping right now,” said Kelly. “It was an issue pre-pandemic, but it's so much more acute at the moment.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.
Pearson gold heist suspect arrested after flying into Toronto from India
Another suspect is in custody in connection with the gold heist at Toronto Pearson International Airport last year, police say.
Millions of cyberattacks per hour as B.C. government investigates multiple breaches
Careful attention to government statements and legislation is required to get a handle on the level of risk British Columbians’ information is under, as investigators probe multiple breaches under a continued barrage of attacks.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Debate on abortion rights erupts on Parliament Hill, Poilievre vows he won't legislate
A Conservative government led by Pierre Poilievre would not legislate on, nor use the notwithstanding clause, on abortion, his office says, as anti-abortion protesters gather on Parliament Hill.
Justin and Hailey Bieber are expecting their first child together
Hailey and Justin Bieber are going to be parents. The couple announced the news on Thursday on Instagram, both sharing a video that showcases Hailey Bieber's growing belly.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
New 'Lord of the Rings' film coming in 2026
The Oscar-winning team behind the nearly US$6 billion blockbuster 'Lord of the Rings' and 'The Hobbit' trilogies is reuniting to produce two new films.