Western Canada leads the world in hiring intentions

Exceprts from an article from the Edmonton Sun below show that the West is Best for those that want to work. Over half of western Canadian employers plan to hire this spring, leading not only Canada, but the whole world:

"Things are probably a little stronger than people anticipated in our last survey," Manpower vice-president Dan Luft said on Monday. "The challenge is to fill vacant positions."

The outlooks are plus 47 per cent in Edmonton, 67 per cent in Red Deer, 60 per cent in Calgary, 45 per cent in Vancouver, 53 per cent in Saskatoon, 50 per cent in Regina and 37 per cent in Winnipeg.

"Heavy-duty mechanics, pipefitters and welders are the three biggest-demand skills for now," Luft said of the local market.

Engineers are needed. So are accountants, "even for higher positions, such as chief financial officers and controllers," he said.

To serve clients in Western Canada, "we're working with our 54 offices across the country," Luft said. "We had to fly to Toronto and make a presentation on the oilsands before it hit home."

As easterners and central Canadians become more aware of western activities, more will consider careers here, he hopes.

But job markets are strong across the country, and Western Canada also must recruit workers from abroad, Luft said.

The Canadian employment outlook is plus 29 per cent.

Worldwide, Canada trails only Japan, at 43 per cent, and India, at 40 per cent -- all below the western Canadian outlook. The European outlook ranges from minus one in Italy to plus 17 in Spain.

Of the 10 industry sectors surveyed, the most brisk results were in mining, followed by public administration, then finance, insurance and real estate, and wholesale and retail trade.