Hiring continues at healthy pace in Canada: Survey

More employers hiring full-time, part-time and temporary workers

The job growth trend in Canada remains solid, as employers expect to continue to add more positions in the second half of 2011. Six-in-ten (61 per cent) employers plan to hire new employees between July and December, up from 58 per cent in 2010, according to CareerBuilder.ca's latest job forecast.

From full-time employees to part-time and temporary workers, the number of companies hiring rose over last year. Those hiring full-time, permanent employees, at 43 per cent, was up from 2010’s 41 per cent, found the survey of 231 hiring managers and human resource professionals. The percentage of companies hiring part-time employees (26 per cent) was up from last year’s 16 per cent. And the percentage of employers hiring contract or temporary employees (27 per cent) was also up from 2010’s 24 per cent.

The top functional areas for which businesses plan to hire first are:

1. Information technology (32 per cent)
2. Customer service (30 per cent)
3. Administrative (23 per cent)
4. Business development (22 per cent)
5. Accounting/Finance (20 per cent)
6. Marketing (17 per cent)
7. Sales (13 per cent)

"Over the last 12 months, Canada has added positions in a variety of industries and the trend is expected to continue at a healthy pace throughout the remainder of 2011," said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. "Our survey and listings on CareerBuilder.ca point to the resilience of the Canadian labour market as economies around the globe work to rebuild after the recession."

Employee turnover

The competition for specialized talent is expected to heat up as employers recruit and try to retain top performers for hard-to-fill positions. One-half (51 per cent) of employers are concerned key talent will leave their organizations as the economy improves, a trend that became increasingly evident over the last six months, said CareerBuilder. Almost one-third (30 per cent) of employers reported top workers left their organization in the second quarter.

Six-in-10 hiring managers reported a shortage of skills within their organization. The area with the greatest shortage of skilled workers was IT skills, followed by communication skills and customer service.

Two-in-five (40 per cent) employers reported they have positions for which they can't find qualified candidates, found the survey.

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