Niagara’s job market still shows signs of life despite shutdown
Number of jobs available down estimated 60 per cent than normal for this time of year
For workers laid off during the COVID-19 crisis still hoping to be hired elsewhere, the jobs board isn’t entirely empty.
But the pickings are slim, and local job placement specialists aren’t hiding the fact.
“We have our finger on the pulse of the marketplace in Niagara, and that pulse is very weak right now,” said Marina Butler, president of Employment Professionals Canada.
“The employment picture is definitely bleak right now,” added Rebecca Nicholls, manager of community employment for Niagara College Community Employment Services.
“We are still hearing from employers that might be hiring,” she said.
“It’s not in droves, that’s for sure, it might be one or two positions here and there.”
Nicholls estimated the number of jobs available now is about 60 per cent less than it would normally be at this time of year.
Last week, a monthly jobs report by Statistics Canada showed that by the third week of March about 11,000 people in Niagara lost their employment as non-essential businesses were ordered closed.
Across Canada, about
1.1 million people were without work, and as of this week nearly 5.5 million had applied for emergency federal aid.
Butler’s offices, in Thorold and Fort Erie, and Nicholls’ office in St. Catharines are closed but continuing to provide employment services and counselling online.
Aside from Sitel Group, which is adding about 200 call centre positions to work from home, all the other job postings are sporadic, said Nicholls.
She said there is a small mix of permanent and temporary jobs available in retail, data collection, nursing homes where part-time staff are no longer allowed to work in multiple homes, and some grocery and pharmacy positions.
Also agriculture — “They’re about to enter their busy period with not a lot of opportunity to recruit foreign workers, as they normally would. So agriculture has seen a huge uptick,” said Nicholls.
And, she added, “We are seeing some uptick in delivery drivers, which is probably not surprising as a lot of establishments are working toward only delivery or curbside pickup.”
Anecdotally, she said, her office is hearing some businesses that didn’t provide delivery previously are learning it might be a feature they want to keep.
“So perhaps it could lead to long-term (employment), because now they’re thinking that’s another avenue of business that they didn’t need to think of before.”
Employers are calling in, she said, but they are looking for information on government wage subsidies and incentives to assist with hiring “so when that essential services list is (expanded) they’ll be ready to go.”
Last year, Butler said, employers had a hard time finding employees to fill all their available jobs.
“Right now you’re looking at the opposite — there’s an abundance of people that could be available for job posts, but the posts aren’t there just yet.”
Her feeling is “there’s a fear-based factor” that has people waiting to see how the situation plays out: “Let’s wait, let’s flatten the curve, and then we’ll make up for lost time.”
She expects in a month or so, “it will be a different environment.”
She said, “Once everybody has the restored confidence, it will turn around quickly because everybody will want to make up for lost time.”
Some sectors such as tourism and some services will recover more slowly, she said.
“I think construction will rev up, and manufacturing, because suppliers will have to be up and going for construction to take place,” Butler said.
“You’ll probably see those engines rev up pretty quickly.”