As 2023 gets underway, those seeking work will have a better chance to find it, according to a report released early Thursday.
According to its employer outlook for the first quarter of the year, Manpower Group reported that many employers will be looking for help.
This is welcome news for people looking to get back into the workforce after the COVID-19 pandemic brought the economy to a near standstill, according to Manpower Group Vice-President for Ontario Natasha Radic.
"Forty-six per cent of employers in southwestern Ontario have told us that in Q-1 of this year, they will be increasing their headcount," said Radic. "They are looking to hire aggressively. Only 14 per cent are looking to cut back or lay off."
The remainder of those companies surveyed indicated that they will keep hiring at or near their current levels.
Radic said jobs in the real estate and finance market will be plentiful, as 44 per cent of those types of companies are planning to hire staff across Canada. Rounding out the top-five sectors looking to increase staff are manufacturing, information technology, logistics, and communications services.
In the money sector, for example, Manpower reported a 14 per cent increase in actual hiring for the fourth quarter of 2022, with a seven per cent hike in hiring for manufacturing.
Radic added that while questions remain about rising inflation and what some forecasters see as a coming recession, the survey did not show that those factored in the employers' decisions on hiring in the first quarter of this year.
The outlook for the entire province of Ontario revealed 32 per cent of those surveyed are planning to hire more people. Western Canada saw the largest potential increase in hiring, with 35 per cent of companies saying they plan to hire.
The methodology used to collect data for the employment outlook is digitized in 40 markets across Canada. About 1,000 employers are invited to participate, with a margin of error of plus-minus three percent.
Complete information on the first-quarter 2023 outlook can be found on Manpower Group's official website.
