The provincial labor market began to tighten up as we came out of the summer this year.
New figures on job vacancies – that’s positions Saskatchewan employers have created but not yet filled – fell slightly in September. The number of vacancies fell to 15,000 at the end of September which translates into a rate of 2.9-percent.
Normally, we have one of the higher ratios nationally but this month had us nearer the bottom of the pack as population growth was able to ease challenges faced by employers who have been fighting to secure talent. Conversely, Ontario saw vacancies rise as people were leaving that province in search of opportunity.
It is a trend that was evident across the West with all four western provinces posting declines in job openings.
Another contributing factor may be that employers have been offering bigger wage packages. At 3.8-percent Saskatchewan, for example, saw stronger wage growth than the other three Western provinces in the past year. In fact, only two Atlantic provinces saw wages rise faster.
Construction and manufacturing were two sectors where vacancies were on the rise.
