Stafflink Solutions Blogger: Canada’s Summer Job Market is Sizzling

Monday, July 19, 2010

Canada’s Summer Job Market is Sizzling

The technology job market is hot this summer. Check out this recent headline in the Huffington Post: Need A Job? Try Canada, Where Hiring Is Booming And Home Prices Are Rising. The article mentions that with a population that’s one tenth the size of the US, Canada created 10,000 more jobs than the USA last month.

Summer is typically a slow time in the job market. Not this year. The Canadian economy created 93,000 jobs in June according to Statistics Canada. The new jobs are primarily in Ontario and Quebec. In June Ontario added 60,000 new jobs and Quebec added 30,000 new jobs

We focus primarily on IT job placements at Stafflink. The majority of new hires we were involved with in June and July came from financial services (primarily banks and insurance companies), software and mobile companies. For hard-to-find skill sets like J2ME, Derivatives or Android our candidates have been receiving multiple job offers. It’s been a couple of years since we’ve seen this level of competition for candidates.

The new jobs Stafflink has been working to fill are evenly split between permanent-fulltime and contract. Compare that to 12 months ago when 90% of the job orders we received were for short term contract opportunities.

I believe that this strong job market will continue. Why? How can we ensure our continued success?

Innovation. Our clients are developing new products and product lines with innovative research and development that is helping to drive the increase in new jobs, mostly in the technology sector.
Stable banks create a secure environment for new business development and growth.
Education. Schools need to offer the courses people need to develop the skills that the current economy demands.
Diverse workforce. Multiculturalism is our strength. Employers who value qualifications from other countries gain access to a larger talent pool. Having people with diverse backgrounds at the table brings more creativity and innovation.