• Employers report a -10% National Outlook for 3Q 2020. It’s a 21 percentage point decrease from the 3Q 2019 Outlook and 19 percentage point decrease from the 2Q 2020 Outlook.
• 59% of employers expect to return to pre-COVID-19 hiring levels within the next 12 months.
• Employers in eight Canadian industry sectors and in all four regions of the country have negative employment outlooks for the upcoming quarter
• Employers in the Manufacturing Non-Durables sector report the highest industry Outlook (+8%) followed by the Services sector (+2%). The Construction sector anticipates a bleak Outlook of -26%, the weakest of all sector Outlooks in Canada
• The strongest regional Outlook is reported by employers in Atlantic Canada (-1%), declining by nine percentage points in comparison with 2Q 2020, and a 17 percentage point decrease in comparison with the same period last year

 
TORONTO, ON, (June 9, 2020) – According to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, the most extensive, forward-looking employment survey in the world, Canadian employers expect a dim hiring pace over the next three months. Employers in the Manufacturing Non-Durables sector report the strongest job prospects, and job creators in the Atlantic Canada region are forecasting the strongest Outlook of the four regions in Canada but still report a negative employer outlook of -1%.
 
With seasonal variations removed from the data, the Net Employment Outlook is -10%.This is a 19 percentage point decrease when compared to the previous quarterly Outlook (2Q 2020) and a 21 percentage point decrease from the Outlook reported during the same time last year (3Q 2019). Employers in all four regions of the country and in eight industry sectors expect to decrease payrolls next quarter. 
 
The survey of over 1,000 employers across Canada reveals that 12% of employers plan to increase their staffing levels in the third quarter of 2020, while 17% anticipate cutbacks. Meanwhile, 60% of the employers surveyed expect their current staffing levels to remain unchanged, while the remaining 11% are unsure of their hiring intentions. The Covid-19 pandemic has directly impacted businesses with 71% of organizations surveyed saying normal business activity has been halted or suspended by the outbreak. Despite this, 59% of employers still expect to return to pre-COVID-19 hiring levels within the next 12 months.
 
“A dim hiring outlook is not unexpected, given the economic lockdowns in the wake of the Covid-19 health emergency,” said Darlene Minatel, Country Manager of ManpowerGroup Canada. “Companies that are hiring generally fall into the category of being essential service or supportive of essential services during this time. The category of essential workers is expanding beyond those who got us through the crisis – grocery stores clerks and temperature checkers – to include those who will help lead us out of the crisis. Think of roles in the IT sector, including chip manufacturers and app developers, who are leading the shift to more flexible and remote work.”

Canada Hiring Plans by Industry Sectors, Regions and Metro Areas

• Nationwide, employers in two industry sectors expect to add staff in Q3 2020. The strongest Outlook is reported in the Manufacturing Non-Durables sector (+8%) followed by the Services sector (+2%). The eight remaining industry sectors expect a decrease in employment in this quarter. When compared with the previous quarter, hiring plans weaken in nine sectors and improve in one. In a year-over-year comparison, employers in all 10 sectors report a weaker hiring sentiment.
• Atlantic Canada has the strongest regional Outlook in the country (-1%), a nine percentage point decline in comparison with 2Q 2020 and it is a 17 percentage point decline compared to the same period last year. Hiring prospects in Quebec (-8%) and Ontario (-12%) expect a disappointing hiring pace this quarter while job seekers in Western Canada (-16%) should plan for a gloomy hiring climate.

 

• Of the 47 markets serviced by Manpower in Canada, the strongest job gains are expected in Kitchener/Cambridge, ON (+20%), Burnaby-Coquitlam, BC (+10%), Charlottetown, PEI (+8%), Cape Breton, NS (+7%) and Saskatoon, SK (+1%).

 
Complete results for the ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey are available for download at www.manpowergroup.ca/meos. The Q4 2020 survey will be released September 8, 2020.
*The Net Employment Outlook is derived by taking the percentage of employers anticipating an increase in hiring activity and subtracting from this the percentage of employers expecting a decrease in hiring activity.
 


About the Survey
The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is conducted quarterly to measure employers’ intentions to
increase or decrease the number of employees in their workforce during the next quarter. It is the most extensive
forward-looking survey of its kind, unparalleled in its size, scope, longevity and area of focus. The Survey has been
running for more than 55 years and is one of the most trusted surveys of employment activity in the world. The
ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is based on interviews with nearly 60,000 public and private employers
worldwide and is considered a highly respected economic indicator.

The ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey is currently available for 44 countries and territories: Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland,
France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands,
New Zealand, Norway, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, South
Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

The program began in the United States and Canada in 1962, and the United Kingdom was added in 1966. Mexico
and Ireland launched the survey in 2002, and 13 additional countries were added to the program in 2003. New
Zealand joined the program in 2004, China, India, Switzerland and Taiwan were added in 2005, and Argentina, Peru,
Costa Rica and South Africa joined in 2006. Colombia, the Czech Republic, Greece, Guatemala, Poland and
Romania joined in 2008; Brazil and Hungary joined in 2009; Panama joined in 2010 and Israel and Slovakia joined in
2011. Finland joined the survey in 2012, Portugal joined in 2016, and Croatia launches the survey for the first time
with this edition. For more information, visit the ManpowerGroup Web site at www.manpowergroup.com and enter the
Research Center.

About ManpowerGroup
ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a
fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing and managing the talent that enables them to win.
We develop innovative solutions for hundreds of thousands of organizations every year, providing them with skilled
talent while finding meaningful, sustainable employment for millions of people across a wide range of industries and
skills. Our expert family of brands – Manpower®, Experis®, Right Management® and ManpowerGroup® Solutions –creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across 80 countries and territories and has done so for 70
years. In 2018, ManpowerGroup was named one of the World's Most Ethical Companies for the ninth year and one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies for the sixteenth year, confirming our position as the most trusted and admired brand in the industry. See how ManpowerGroup is powering the future of work: www.manpowergroup.com.


CONTACT:

Tony D’Archi
The iPR Group
416.420.1413
tony@theiprgroup.ca