Hot jobs with low unemployment, high demand, and rising salaries

This morning’s Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada indicated that the Canadian economy shed roughly 1,000 jobs in February. (Full Labour Force Survey.) This is actually better news than many economists were expecting, given the cutbacks in the natural resources sector due to falling oil prices.

Indeed, job losses were greater in the west, particularly in the oil and gas industry, but these were offset by gains elsewhere. Between February 2014 and 2015, employment in Canada increased by 130,000 jobs, with most of the growth coming in the last six months. So while there are pockets of higher and lower unemployment, more people are working than a year ago.

The overall national unemployment rate in Canada stands at 6.8%. However, unemployment rates for some highly skilled professions are at half that, or less, making workers in these fields in high demand.

A new report from Robert Half highlights some current skills gaps and talent shortages in the labour market where hiring managers are struggling to find the workers they need. Thanks to rapid advances in technology, new skills are emerging as the essential price of admission for more and more roles. (See: The skills you need to add to your resume to get hired in 2015.)

The average Canadian salary went up by 2.3% last year. According to Robert Half, starting wages for professional occupations are projected to rise by 3.7% in 2015. Technology salaries are expected to increase the most, by 5.2%.

So, here’s a look at a range of jobs where employers are having difficulty hiring people with the skills they need, where unemployment is low, and competitive salaries are on the rise.

Social Science and Government Occupations (National unemployment rate – 2.2%)

Law clerks and related occupations
Legal secretaries
Lawyers and Quebec notaries
Judges
[View jobs]

Management Occupations (National unemployment rate – 1.7%)

Financial managers [View jobs]
Business services managers [View jobs]
Sales Managers [View jobs]
Marketing/advertising managers [View jobs]

Business, Finance and Administrative Jobs (National unemployment rate – 3.4%)

Financial auditors [View jobs]
Accountants [View jobs]
Financial and investment analysts [View jobs]
Executive assistants [View jobs]
Receptionists [View jobs]
Payroll clerks [View jobs]
Customer service representatives [View jobs]
Administrative clerks [View jobs]

Natural and Applied Sciences and Related Jobs (National unemployment rate – 2.7%)

Information systems analysts [View jobs]
Database analysts [View jobs]
Computer programmers [View jobs]
Web designers/developers [View jobs]
Computer network technicians [View jobs]
User support technicians [View jobs]

So while on the surface, the national unemployment rate remains fairly stagnant, there are actually growing pockets of opportunity. This highlights the need for candidates to continuously develop new skills and keep up with the trends and technologies of job market demand. The alternative is for vacant jobs to remain unfilled at the same time as there are people who need work, but who don’t have the necessary abilities.

Source: The Demand for Skilled Talent, Robert Half.

See also:

The skills you need to add to your resume to get hired in 2015
The 10 Canadian job titles with the most online job postings
High-paying jobs that are in demand in Canada right now (with and without a university degree)

Bonne Chance! Paola