Jobs incoming: Majority of Canadian companies plan to add new positions later this year
If you’re looking for a new job, there’s hope on the horizon. Canadian companies say they’ll be hiring and looking to add more positions to their workforce in the second half of the year.
According to new data from consulting firm Robert Half, hiring will keep pace for the remainder of the year.
The company’s State of Hiring Survey found that 52% of companies in Canada plan to add new permanent positions in the year’s second half.
An additional 41% said they want to fill vacated positions, and 58% plan to increase the number of contract and project-based professionals by the end of the year.
CNW Group/Robert Half Canada Inc
Half of surveyed managers said company growth was the leading factor influencing hiring decisions for the remainder of 2024.
Employee turnover was another prominent factor as 41% of hiring managers said they were looking to fill positions for that reason.
Job turnover has been a prominent issue in the country’s employment landscape.
A report published by recruitment firm Hays earlier this year indicated that 71% of Canadians are looking to quit their jobs within the next 12 months — the highest number the organization has ever seen. In 2022, 61% of respondents said they wanted to leave their positions.
Nearly two out of five (39%) managers surveyed by Robert Half noted their hiring was driven by project-based work that needed positions filled, and 38% said their current employees lacked “requisite skills,” leading them to hire more staff.
Robert Half’s findings also highlight that companies continue to face many recruitment challenges related to skillset and salary.
A whopping 90% of hiring managers said they have a difficult time finding skilled professionals to fill job vacancies.
Other notable challenges noted by managers include a lack of applicants with the required skills for the job (51%) and meeting candidates’ salary expectations (46%).
The consulting firm added that 32% of managers believe it will take longer to hire between now and the end of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024.
Robert Half conducted its online survey during the first two weeks of June, and its data includes responses from 1,800 managers with hiring responsibilities in finance, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and HR in companies with over 20 employees.
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