The million job mirage and why the hard part actually begins now: Canadian Chamber of Commerce on Labour Force Survey release

(OTTAWA) – November 5, 2021 – The Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s Senior Director of Workforce Strategies and Inclusive Growth, Leah Nord, issued the following statement today on the state of Canada’s labour market.

“As Canada continues to recover jobs through these summer and fall months, many have been quick to claim victory after recouping the last million jobs lost as a result of the pandemic. While it’s a positive development, it’s not the milestone we should be focused on.  Although we have returned to pre-pandemic levels, the labour market has fundamentally shifted since then. We need to be looking forward, not backward.

The fact is the hard part begins now. Filling almost 900,000 job vacancies is an order of magnitude more difficult to achieve than a rebound in employment following a significant economic downturn. Talent is an issue in every sector, at every level of the value chain, in every part of the country, and there’s no silver-bullet-fix at hand.

We won’t reach sustainable economic growth without building inclusive and sustainable talent pipelines. Canada needs a serious plan to address its structural workforce challenges, which were well entrenched before COVID, before we can find reason to celebrate.”

About the Canadian Chamber of Commerce – Because Business Matters

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce helps build the businesses that support our families, our communities and our country. We do this by influencing government policy, by providing essential business services and by connecting businesses to information they can use, to opportunities for growth and to a network of local chambers, businesses, decision-makers and peers from across the country, in every sector of the economy and at all levels of government, as well as internationally. We are unapologetic in our support for business and the vital role it plays in building and sustaining our great nation.

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For more information, please contact:
Phil Taylor
ptaylor@chamber.ca