More Canadian companies will hire for new roles in the next six months
If you’re looking for a career change this year, there’s hope — a significant portion of Canadian companies plan on hiring for new positions in the first half of the new year.
According to recent data from Robert Half’s State of Canadian Hiring Survey, 46% of companies intend to add new permanent positions in the first six months of 2025.
The international resource consulting firm notes that new hiring is expected to be “robust” into the new year.
Almost half (49%) of hiring managers plan on filling vacant positions, and 54% said they are increasing the hiring of contractors to help with projects in the new year.
Growth was cited as the main reason for hiring, as 47% of managers planning to increase staff said it was a primary factor in bringing on more employees. Employee turnover rates (44%) and new projects (41%) were also named key factors.
Robert Half
A significant number of managers surveyed also noted that when new roles aren’t opened, it can lead to decreased productivity (40%), burnout and stretched bandwidth of staff (39%) and delayed projects (34%).
According to Koula Vasilopoulos, senior marketing manager of Robert Half Canada, 2024 brought many hiring challenges, including “skills gaps and talent shortages” and tough economic conditions.
“While hiring plans remain high as we enter 2025, businesses must ensure they have the right hiring strategies in place to keep key initiatives running smoothly, complete projects on time, achieve goals, and attract top talent for the future,” she said.
“In addition, they need to mitigate burnout and decreased productivity from overstretched teams through strong retention plans.”
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The survey results show that the Canadian unemployment rate rose 6.8% in November, marking the highest in eight years.
A recent survey by Statistics Canada states that while 51,000 people found work, unemployment went up to 6.8%, “the highest rate since January 2017 (excluding the years 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic).”
Since April 2023, that level has been steadily increasing by 1.7%. The latest findings reveal that 87,000 (or 6.1%) more people are now looking for work.
So, if you’ve been struggling to find a job, 2025 could be your year.
An independent research firm conducted the online survey on behalf of Robert Half in December 2024. It includes responses from more than 1,050 managers with hiring responsibilities in finance, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative, customer support, and HR in companies with more than 20 employees.
With files from Irish Mae Silvestre
This article was originally published on December 12, 2024. It has since been updated.