Tight labour market causing headaches for Calgary employers
Posted Jul 3, 2012 7:46 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
Help wanted signs are popping up all over the city again, but there isn’t a stampede of job applicants.
The Calgary Herald reports it’s not just oil companies that are flying in workers to get the job done.
Andrew Corcoran, the franchise partner in Calgary’s Wow-1 Day! Painting, says he’s had trouble finding workers since opening up here back in March.
Corcoran says he recently had to fly in a crew from the west coast for three days of work.
Scotia Capital Economist Fred Ketchen tells 660News while a hot labour market does present a number of challenges, it’s better than the opposite.
Ketchen says the key to attract and retain workers is to offer more than a competitive wage; he says prospective employees are also looking for a great work environment and opportunities to move up with the company.
Alberta’s jobless rate is running at 4.5 per cent, which is slightly below the five per cent level which economists consider full employment.
The province’s unemployment-to-job-vacancy has fallen from 3.2 per cent in March 2011 to 1.8 per cent this spring.
