4.1.2 Skills & Labour

Results of the CFIB Survey on the Shortage of Qualified Labour (February 2001) indicates that one in two (46%) business respondents have difficulties finding qualified labour to meet their staffing needs in 2000. In Nova Scotia, concern about labour shortages has reached an all-time high.

Hiring Difficulties by Occupations

Agriculture: agriculture related occupations, drivers and other transportation occupations

Primary: fishers, forestry workers, and skilled workers in other related occupations

Manufacturing: workers in manufacturing occupations: skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled

Construction: workers in construction area: skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled

Transportation and communication: drivers, occupations in transport trades, warehousing and materials handling

Wholesale: sales and account representatives, sales and customer service clerks, wharehousing and materials handling workers

Retail: sales and customer service clerks, sales and account representativews

Finance, Insurance and Real Estate: sales and account representatives, sales and customer service clerks, clerical occupations, occupations in management area and professionals

Business services: computer specialists, occupations in management area and professionals, science graduates, engineers, sales and account representatives

Education, Health and Social Services: occupations in medicine/health, and the management area, professionals, and clerical occupations

Hospitality, Personal and Other Services: occupations in food serving and preparation field, sales and customer serivce clerks, occupations in hotel, tourism and recreation area

Source: CFIB, results of hard Facts Survey, Oct.-Nov. 2000

According to CFIB's Hard Facts survey, conducted in October to November 2000, respondents reported that about 1 out of every 20 jobs remains unfilled because of an inability to find suitably skilled labour (4.7%). This rate conservatively represents about 250,000 to 300,000 vacant jobs among Canada's million of so small and medium sized employers.7

The highest rate of unfilled jobs is found in the construction and business service sectors.

Hiring difficulties appears at both ends of the job spectrum and are not restricted to any particular occupation. The level of difficulty finding people in a particular occupation various by sector. The following table provides the occupations in which employers have the most difficulties hiring by sector.

Three quarters of respondents believe that lack of people with the right skills in their area is the number one reason for hiring difficulties. More than 83% can't find skilled workers because of the lack of people with appropriate skills.