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Thursday, February 16, 2017

Jobs Mismatch

In Canada, 18.7 percent of jobs are still open after 60 days. Yet Canada’s unemployment rate remains stagnant, suggesting a jobs mismatch. Why is that?

1. Jobs are more specialized.

  • Many jobs require computer and technological training, but few people have these skills.
  • 35% of 16-29-year-old Canadians have no workplace computer experience.

2. Education doesn’t align with the labour market.

  • Postsecondary education has risen from 39% to 53% but unemployment stays at 7%.
  • 82% of Canadian postsecondary grads are employed vs. 88–90% in Scandinavian nations.

3. The workforce is aging.

  • Workers are beginning to retire.
  • In some fields, including many trades, there are too few skilled people to take their place.

4. Employers aren’t offering what workers want.

  • More workers are interested in flexible work arrangements than in the past.
  • More jobs are temporary and part-time—with no benefits or retirement plans—creating precarious living situations for many who have to work multiple jobs just to pay the rent and put food on the table.

Sources: OECD, Indeed, Statistics Canada


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