Positions requiring a high school diploma or less faced the largest declines (-28.7% year-over-year), says Statistics Canada, particularly in sales and service roles.
In the third quarter, job vacancies decreased by 6,900 (-6.6%) to 98,400 in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations. This was the ninth consecutive quarterly decline since the record high (195,000) reached in the second quarter of 2022.
On a year-over-year basis, the number of vacant positions in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations was down by 43,100 (-28.5%) in the third quarter of 2024, says the report. The largest decreases were recorded for transport truck drivers (-7,000 to 13,200), construction trades helpers and labourers (-6,000 to 12,300), carpenters (-4,400 to 4,600), and automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (-3,300 to 6,300) (not seasonally adjusted).
Job vacancies in health occupations fell by 8,200 (-9.5%) to 78,600 in the third quarter, following a decrease of 5,400 (-5.8%) in the second quarter. This was the second consecutive quarterly decline after six consecutive quarters of little change since the peak in the third quarter of 2022, when job vacancies in health occupations reached 97,400, says Statistics Canada.
Year over year, vacancies in health occupations were down by 13,900 (-14.9%) in the third quarter of 2024. Among health occupations, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses (-6,400 to 23,900), nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (-3,500 to 17,200), and licensed practical nurses (-2,500 to 10,600) accounted for the largest year-over-year decreases.
