Highlights
- The vacancy rate stood at 6.1% in Capitale-Nationale and 3.9% in Chaudière-Appalaches. This is a 1.5 and 2.8 percentage point (pp) drop compared to the same period in 2022, and the first decrease for that indicator in the second quarter since 2015 for Capitale-Nationale, and since 2016 for Chaudière-Appalaches.
- On average, the hourly wage offered for vacant positions was $23.25 in Capitale-Nationale and $24 in Chaudière-Appalaches. The averages offered in the province of Quebec was $24.30, compared to $25.10 in Canada.
- Workers in the occupational categories “sales and services,” “health” and “trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations” were among the most in-demand in both regions.
Charts
Commentary
These estimations from Statistics Canada’s Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) reflect the labour market situation during the second quarter of 2023. After the year 2022 being marked by a record number of vacant positions, the second quarter of 2023 confirms the downward trend started at the beginning of the year (Q1 2023). The job vacancy rate decreased in both regions, with drops of 1.5 pp in Capitale-Nationale and 2.8 pp in Chaudière-Appalaches. However, the job vacancy rate in Capitale-Nationale remains among the highest in Canada.
The labour market remains dynamic in both administrative regions, with the number of payroll employees increasing by 10.2% in Capitale-Nationale (+34,140 employees) and by 15% in Chaudière-Appalaches (+28,405 employees). Compared to the same quarter in 2022, total labour demand (payroll employees + number of vacant positions) grew by 8.4% in Capitale-Nationale and 11.7% in Chaudière-Appalaches. These performances show that the labour market continues to create employment in both regions, despite labour scarcity remaining a current challenge.
Workers in the occupational categories “sales and service,” “health,” and “trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations” were some of the most in-demand.
Capitale-Nationale (23,995 vacant positions) | Chaudière-Appalaches (8,910 vacant positions) |
Sales and service occupations (8,430) | Sales and service occupations (2,435) |
Health occupations (4,075) | Trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (2,305) |
Trades, transport and equipement operators and related occupations (2,595) | Occupations in manufacturing and utilities (1 135) |
These latest data from the JVWS show that the region’s labour market is dynamic and that labour scarcity remains a current reality. Although the number of vacant positions dropped for the first time in the second quarter since 2015 for Capitale-Nationale and since 2016 for Chaudière-Appalaches, the good results in terms of total labour demand show that the labour market remains dynamic in the greater Québec City region (Capitale-Nationale and Chaudière-Appalaches).
El Hadji Nimaga
Économist
Québec International
Note to readers
1 The job vacancy rate is the number of job vacancies expressed as a percentage of labour demand, i.e. all occupied and vacant jobs.
2 JVWS data is not seasonally adjusted. Some caution is advised in interpreting the comparisons from one quarter to another as these may reflect seasonal changes.
3 The survey’s target population includes all commercial locations in Canada, except those whose primary activity concerns the sectors of religious organizations and private households. Federal, provincial and territorial administrations are also excluded from the survey.
4 To learn more about the National Occupational Classification [NOC] and the categories presented above, please visit the Government of Canada’s website.
5 Note that data by trade is provided for information purposes only and must be considered with caution due to the sample size.
