MANPOWER IN GRE ATER MONTRÉAL Wanted: Job Candidates

MANPOWER IN GREATER MONTRÉAL

WANTED: JOB CANDIDATES

REPORT BY EMMANUELLE GRIL, JOURNALIST

The Québec economy is rolling full steam ahead, and things are looking up! What that means, though, is a shortage of manpower in most regions, and Montréal is no exception.

ith a historically low un employment rate, Québec is almost in a position of full employment. While the rate is slightly higher in Montréal, the fact remains that from November 2018 to November 2019, 46,300 jobs were created in Greater Montréal, which represents an increase of 4.3%. A total of 1.1 million people are working in an active population of 1.2 million. But job candidates do not always measure up to par, and more and more firms are experiencing difficulty recruiting the employees they need for their future growth and development. A nice problem to have, but one that gives recruiters headaches. W

ALL SECTORS AFFECTED This state of affairs was confirmed by Suzanne Roy, interim president of the Québec Union of Municipalities (UMQ) and mayor of the town of Sainte-Julie. "Many companies have had to slow down their expansion, due to a lack of human

SUZANNE ROY Interim president of the Québec Union of Municipalities (UMQ) Mayor of Sainte-Julie

resources. There is also the phenomenon of firms reducing their hours of business because they lack personnel," she said. Denis Martin, president of the UMQ’s Economic Development Commission and mayor of Deux Montagnes, added that in 2018 there were 40,000 unfilled job positions in Greater Montréal, twice the number for 2014.

All sectors of the economy are affected. Firms are seeking people with university degrees and college diplomas, as well as high school graduates. Even people with few qualifica tions and no training are being targeted by employers. Mr. Martin noted their employment rate rose by 4%, with 30% of the positions to be filled at present requiring no diploma or special training. The situation is also creating pressure to raise wages for workers with little education.

PROMISING LABOUR POOL In these conditions, immigrants are an inter esting labour pool for employers. In order to attract candidates, many organizations recruit overseas. In January 2019 the UMQ attended the Salon du travail et de la mobi lité professionnelle in P aris. "Our kiosk attracted a lot of traffic, and we received about 1500 résumés," noted Suzanne Roy.

Denis Martin mentioned that every year the Greater Montréal region welcomes approximately 86% of new immigrants to Québec. "As a large urban centre it offers a number of attractions for newcomers." Many ethnic communities are well established in the city, which facilitates acclimatization and integration of people coming from abroad. "Much of successful integration into a new culture occurs in the workplace. Even though there is a labour DENIS MARTIN President of the UMQ’s Economic Development Commission Mayor of Deux-Montagnes

shortage in all regions of Québec, Montréal offers many interesting opportunities for newcomers," said Mr. Martin.

The UMQ is working closely with the government to simplify the administrative procedures involved for those who wish to emigrate to Québec, and for employers who want to hire foreign workers.