Tool
Coronavirus Outbreak’s Impacts on Canadian Employer Demand
As the novel coronavirus entered and spread across the globe in early 2020, stay-at-home orders immobilized economic activity. Hiring freezes, furloughs, and layoffs defined the summer months. EAB has continued to monitor regional labor market data to inform your program planning conversations. Use these analyses and the included discussion questions to consider how to adapt your portfolio for COVID-19 and the pandemic economic recovery.
A job postings analysis and discussion guide
Consider this early data in your portfolio planning conversations, as well as the recommended questions for discussion. Use the menu on the left to navigate to geographical data.
Canada national data
Changes in job postings volume
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our economy react to the coronavirus outbreak across April through September? Has our regional public health and economic response been consistent, or have we experienced improvements and declines throughout?
- How do our recent job posting trends contrast to this time last year? To what extent do we see this reflected in our students’ behaviors?
-21%
Decline in postings from January-September 2019 to January-September 2020
Changes in top occupations advertised regionally in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top occupations
Top occupations for associate-level professionals
Top occupations for bachelor’s-level professionals
Top occupations for master’s-level professionals
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which roles, if any, experienced increased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? To what extent would past trends encourage us to anticipate a sustained increase? Or, do we anticipate the increase was driven by the outbreak and may decline once short-term needs are met?
- Do we offer programs to prepare students for in-demand roles?
- Which roles experienced decreased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? Would industry projections as we recover from the coronavirus outbreak suggest future growth or continued decline for these roles?
- Should we temper expectations for relevant program enrollment?
- Is it likely these roles also suffered layoffs across recent months? Do we likely have alumni or community members who need re-training for reemployment?
Top Skills Sought Regionally after the Coronavirus Outbreak
Top skills sought
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which skills are in greatest demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues? Do we expect these trends to hold?
- Are we teaching in-demand skills? Can prospective students easily identify which programs teach these skills? Do employers recognize which of our programs develop these in-demand skills?
Changes in skills sought regionally before and during the coronavirus outbreak
Skills with highest relative growth
Canada Nationwide Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Skill | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Percentage Point Growth |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | 3,900 | 1.24% | 3,825 | 1.52% | 3.84% |
| Financial Statements | 5,762 | 1.83% | 4,260 | 1.69% | 3.36% |
| Customer Relationship Management | 4,692 | 1.49% | 3,993 | 1.58% | 3.27% |
| Business Development | 5,393 | 1.71% | 4,457 | 1.77% | 3.04% |
| New Product Development | 4,517 | 1.44% | 3,524 | 1.40% | 2.83% |
| Risk Management | 4,385 | 1.39% | 3,536 | 1.40% | 2.67% |
| Software Development | 5,139 | 1.63% | 4,885 | 1.94% | 2.26% |
| Selling Techniques | 4,273 | 1.36% | 3,847 | 1.52% | 2.23% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 4,593 | 1.46% | 4,505 | 1.79% | 1.79% |
| Master Of Business Administration (MBA) | 3,592 | 1.14% | 3,392 | 1.34% | 1.76% |
| SQL (Programming Language) | 5,730 | 1.82% | 5,207 | 2.06% | 1.63% |
| Business Process | 6,894 | 3.72% | 5,497 | 3.80% | 1.24% |
| Accounting | 25,016 | 13.51% | 17,812 | 12.32% | 1.04% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 8,766 | 4.73% | 7,684 | 5.31% | 0.98% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- To what extent do we anticipate demand for these emerging skills to continue growing, or to sustain at these higher levels, in the future?
- Are we teaching emerging skills that experienced significant growth compared to demand earlier this year? If so, have we experienced increased interest/applications/enrollments in relevant programs? If not, how can we better communicate to prospective students that these offerings instill emerging skills?
Industries’ employer demand before and during the coronavirus outbreak
Job postings by industry
Canada Nationwide Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Industry | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Percentage Point Change |
| Educational Services | 17,266 | 5.49% | 14,374 | 5.82% | 6.10% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 8,188 | 2.60% | 6,769 | 2.74% | 5.24% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 5,272 | 1.68% | 4,249 | 1.72% | 2.71% |
| Construction | 14,329 | 4.55% | 11,161 | 4.52% | 1.85% |
| Finance and Insurance | 19,705 | 6.26% | 15,472 | 6.27% | 0.07% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,742 | 0.87% | 2,152 | 0.87% | 0.02% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 13,965 | 4.44% | 11,191 | 4.53% | -0.47% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 45,988 | 14.62% | 24,987 | 10.12% | -1.03% |
| Retail Trade | 29,161 | 9.27% | 23,511 | 9.52% | -1.31% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,250 | 0.40% | 948 | 0.38% | -3.35% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 7,076 | 2.25% | 5,061 | 2.05% | -4.42% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2,919 | 0.93% | 2,177 | 0.88% | -4.95% |
| Information | 9,290 | 2.95% | 6,928 | 2.81% | -4.96% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 32,176 | 10.23% | 33,860 | 13.72% | -6.17% |
| Public Administration | 6,748 | 2.14% | 5,171 | 2.09% | -6.87% |
| Utilities | 1,587 | 0.50% | 1,179 | 0.48% | -7.13% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 49,401 | 15.70% | 35,377 | 14.33% | -8.73% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1,618 | 0.51% | 1,136 | 0.46% | -8.77% |
| Manufacturing | 30,360 | 9.65% | 20,209 | 8.19% | -11.68% |
| Wholesale Trade | 8,197 | 2.61% | 5,383 | 2.18% | -16.22% |
Questions for Initial Discussion:
- How did our local industry demand shift during the coronavirus outbreak?
- Which industries suffered the most, as demonstrated by the greatest decline in job postings?
- To what extent do we suspect alumni already employed in hard-hit fields may lose their employment and need re-training to secure available jobs?
Top hiring employers after the coronavirus outbreak
Top hiring employers
Questions for initial discussion:
- Do we partner with any of these employers with the highest demand in recent months?
Canada by region, North
Changes in job postings volume
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our regional economy react to the coronavirus outbreak across April through September? Has our regional public health and economic response been consistent, or have we experienced improvements and declines throughout?
- How do our recent job posting trends contrast to this time last year? To what extent do we see this reflected in our students’ behaviors?
Changes in top occupations advertised regionally in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top occupations
Top occupations for associate-level professionals
Top occupations for bachelor’s-level professionals
Top occupations for advanced degree professionals
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which roles, if any, experienced increased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? To what extent would past trends encourage us to anticipate a sustained increase? Or, do we anticipate the increase was driven by the outbreak and may decline once short-term needs are met?
- Do we offer programs to prepare students for in-demand roles?
- Which roles experienced decreased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? Would industry projections as we recover from the coronavirus outbreak suggest future growth or continued decline for these roles?
- Should we temper expectations for relevant program enrollment?
- Is it likely these roles also suffered layoffs across recent months? Do we likely have alumni or community members who need re-training for reemployment?
Top skills sought regionally after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top skills sought
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which skills are in greatest demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues? Do we expect these trends to hold?
- Are we teaching in-demand skills? Can prospective students easily identify which programs teach these skills? Do employers recognize which of our programs develop these in-demand skills?
Changes in skills sought regionally before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Fastest-growing skills, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Northern Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Skill | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Percentage Point Growth |
| Technical Support | 0 | 0% | 5 | 0.33% | 172.74% |
| Program Development | 8 | 0.48% | 5 | 0.33% | 81.83% |
| Financial Analysis | 0 | 0% | 6 | 0.40% | 63.65% |
| Risk Management | 10 | 0.60% | 9 | 0.59% | 63.65% |
| Troubleshooting (Problem Solving) | 11 | 0.66% | 11 | 0.73% | 50.01% |
| Psychology | 4 | 0.24% | 15 | 0.99% | 48.77% |
| Case Management | 0 | 0% | 12 | 0.79% | 45.46% |
| Accounts Receivable | 9 | 0.54% | 13 | 0.86% | 41.83% |
| Microsoft Access | 14 | 0.85% | 9 | 0.59% | 40.27% |
| Business Development | 20 | 1.21% | 14 | 0.92% | 38.85% |
| Consulting | 21 | 1.27% | 15 | 0.99% | 36.37% |
| Influencing Skills | 8 | 0.48% | 10 | 0.66% | 36.37% |
| Social Work | 49 | 2.96% | 42 | 2.77% | 34.77% |
| Organizational Skills | 30 | 1.81% | 37 | 2.44% | 34.55% |
| Adult Education | 14 | 0.85% | 16 | 1.05% | 34.27% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- To what extent do we anticipate demand for these emerging skills to continue growing, or to sustain at these higher levels, in the future?
- Are we teaching emerging skills that experienced significant growth compared to demand earlier this year? If so, have we experienced increased interest/applications/enrollments in relevant programs? If not, how can we better communicate to prospective students that these offerings instill emerging skills?
Industries’ employer demand before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Job postings by industry, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Northern Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Industry | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Percentage Point Change |
| Manufacturing | 26 | 1.57% | 13 | 0.86% | 136.07% |
| Finance and Insurance | 36 | 2.18% | 30 | 1.97% | 25.72% |
| Educational Services | 45 | 2.72% | 48 | 3.16% | 16.22% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 5 | 0.30% | 3 | 0.20% | 8.95% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 3 | 0.18% | 5 | 0.33% | 8.95% |
| Public Administration | 550 | 33.23% | 512 | 33.71% | 1.43% |
| Construction | 70 | 4.23% | 68 | 4.48% | -1.22% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 106 | 6.40% | 95 | 6.25% | -2.35% |
| Information | 40 | 2.42% | 40 | 2.63% | -3.15% |
| Utilities | 23 | 1.39% | 32 | 2.11% | -3.15% |
| Wholesale Trade | 6 | 0.36% | 35 | 2.30% | -4.67% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 105 | 6.34% | 89 | 5.86% | -7.65% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 182 | 11.00% | 154 | 10.14% | -9.30% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 24 | 1.45% | 19 | 1.25% | -13.75% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 75 | 4.53% | 57 | 3.75% | -14.93% |
| Retail Trade | 73 | 4.41% | 54 | 3.55% | -15.95% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our local industry demand shift during the coronavirus outbreak?
- Which industries suffered the most, as demonstrated by the greatest decline in job postings?
- To what extent do we suspect alumni already employed in hard-hit fields may lose their employment and need re-training to secure available jobs?
Top hiring employers after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top hiring employers
Questions for initial discussion:
- Do we partner with any of these employers with the highest demand in recent months?
Canada by region, West
Changes in job postings volume
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our regional economy react to the coronavirus outbreak across April through September? Has our regional public health and economic response been consistent, or have we experienced improvements and declines throughout?
- How do our recent job posting trends contrast to this time last year? To what extent do we see this reflected in our students’ behaviors?
Changes in top occupations advertised regionally in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top occupations
Top occupations for associate-level professionals
Top occupations for bachelor’s-level professionals
Top occupations for advanced degree professionals
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which roles, if any, experienced increased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? To what extent would past trends encourage us to anticipate a sustained increase? Or, do we anticipate the increase was driven by the outbreak and may decline once short-term needs are met?
- Do we offer programs to prepare students for in-demand roles?
- Which roles experienced decreased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? Would industry projections as we recover from the coronavirus outbreak suggest future growth or continued decline for these roles?
- Should we temper expectations for relevant program enrollment?
- Is it likely these roles also suffered layoffs across recent months? Do we likely have alumni or community members who need re-training for reemployment?
Top skills sought regionally after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top skills sought
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which skills are in greatest demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues? Do we expect these trends to hold?
- Are we teaching in-demand skills? Can prospective students easily identify which programs teach these skills? Do employers recognize which of our programs develop these in-demand skills?
Changes in skills sought regionally before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Fastest-growing skills, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Western Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Skill | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-September 2020 | Percentage Point Growth |
| Selling Techniques | 1,659 | 1.45% | 1,190 | 1.35% | 13.34% |
| Software Engineering | N/A | N/A | 1,170 | 1.32% | N/A |
| Secondary Education | 1,574 | 1.40% | 1,140 | 1.29% | 11.34% |
| New Product Development | 1,476 | 1.32% | 1,034 | 1.17% | 8.42% |
| JavaScript (Programming Language) | 1,118 | 1.00% | 1,044 | 1.18% | 7.68% |
| Automation | 1,277 | 1.14% | 1,216 | 1.38% | 7.58% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 1,210 | 1.08% | 1,210 | 1.37% | 7.43% |
| Mental Health | 1,299 | 1.16% | 1,371 | 1.55% | 6.78% |
| Customer Relationship Management | 1,622 | 1.45% | 1,241 | 1.40% | 6.53% |
| Enthusiasm | 1,492 | 1.33% | 1,241 | 1.40% | 6.45% |
| Psychology | 922 | 0.82% | 1,044 | 1.18% | 6.22% |
| Social Work | 1,128 | 1.01% | 1,247 | 1.41% | 6.04% |
| Business Process | 6,894 | 3.72% | 5,497 | 3.80% | 1.24% |
| Accounting | 25,016 | 13.51% | 17,817 | 12.32% | 1.04% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 8,766 | 4.73% | 7,684 | 5.31% | 0.98% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- To what extent do we anticipate demand for these emerging skills to continue growing, or to sustain at these higher levels, in the future?
- Are we teaching emerging skills that experienced significant growth compared to demand earlier this year? If so, have we experienced increased interest/applications/enrollments in relevant programs? If not, how can we better communicate to prospective students that these offerings instill emerging skills?
Industries’ employer demand before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Job postings by industry, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Western Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Industry | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Percentage Point Change |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 897 | 0.80% | 907 | 1.02% | 28.00% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 15,021 | 13.40% | 16,384 | 18.50% | 22.17% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 396 | 0.35% | 331 | 0.37% | 5.81% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 1,606 | 1.43% | 1,318 | 1.49% | 3.89% |
| Educational Services | 8,289 | 7.40% | 7,086 | 8.00% | 1.67% |
| Information | 2,315 | 2.06% | 1,965 | 2.22% | -0.14% |
| Construction | 6,319 | 5.64% | 4,910 | 5.54% | -1.64% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 876 | 0.78% | 680 | 0.77% | -1.73% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 3,096 | 2.76% | 2,138 | 2.41% | -3.79% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 13,948 | 12.44% | 7,942 | 8.97% | -4.05% |
| Public Administration | 2,813 | 2.51% | 2,094 | 2.36% | -4.89% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 16,977 | 15.14% | 11,183 | 12.63% | -5.76% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 2,787 | 2.49% | 2,199 | 2.48% | -10.09% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 6,221 | 5.55% | 4,366 | 4.93% | -11.16% |
| Wholesale Trade | 2,491 | 2.22% | 1,597 | 1.80% | -12.67% |
| Manufacturing | 8,823 | 7.87% | 5,611 | 6.33% | -14.40% |
| Finance and Insurance | 4,358 | 3.89% | 2,822 | 3.19% | -18.03% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our local industry demand shift during the coronavirus outbreak?
- Which industries suffered the most, as demonstrated by the greatest decline in job postings?
- To what extent do we suspect alumni already employed in hard-hit fields may lose their employment and need re-training to secure available jobs?
Top hiring employers after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top hiring employers
Questions for initial discussion:
- Do we partner with any of these employers with the highest demand in recent months?
Canada by region, Atlantic
Changes in job postings volume
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our regional economy react to the coronavirus outbreak across April through September? Has our regional public health and economic response been consistent, or have we experienced improvements and declines throughout?
- How do our recent job posting trends contrast to this time last year? To what extent do we see this reflected in our students’ behaviors?
Changes in top occupations advertised regionally in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top occupations
Top occupations for associate-level professionals
Top occupations for bachelor’s-level professionals
Top occupations for advanced degree professionals
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which roles, if any, experienced increased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? To what extent would past trends encourage us to anticipate a sustained increase? Or, do we anticipate the increase was driven by the outbreak and may decline once short-term needs are met?
- Do we offer programs to prepare students for in-demand roles?
- Which roles experienced decreased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? Would industry projections as we recover from the coronavirus outbreak suggest future growth or continued decline for these roles?
- Should we temper expectations for relevant program enrollment?
- Is it likely these roles also suffered layoffs across recent months? Do we likely have alumni or community members who need re-training for reemployment?
Top skills sought regionally after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top skills sought
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which skills are in greatest demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues? Do we expect these trends to hold?
- Are we teaching in-demand skills? Can prospective students easily identify which programs teach these skills? Do employers recognize which of our programs develop these in-demand skills?
Changes in skills sought regionally before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Fastest-growing skills, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Atlantic Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Skill | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings April-Sept. 2020 | Percent Change |
| Strategic Planning | 893 | 4.21% | 669 | 3.84% | 10.57% |
| Nursing Practice | 985 | 4.64% | 673 | 3.86% | 9.30% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | 639 | 3.01% | 634 | 3.64% | 6.52% |
| Automation | 590 | 2.78% | 684 | 3.93% | 6.27% |
| Basic Life Support | 696 | 3.28% | 689 | 3.95% | 5.43% |
| Computer Science | 1,063 | 5.01% | 925 | 5.31% | 5.40% |
| Primary Health Care | 1,845 | 8.69% | 1,212 | 6.96% | 5.30% |
| People Services | 874 | 4.12% | 615 | 3.53% | 4.19% |
| Forecasting | 796 | 3.75% | 595 | 3.42% | 3.83% |
| Financial Statements | 1,014 | 4.78% | 845 | 4.85% | 3.34% |
| Secondary Education | 987 | 4.65% | 852 | 4.89% | 2.34% |
| Bilingual (French/English) | 1,069 | 5.04% | 891 | 5.11% | 2.10% |
| Change Management | 682 | 3.21% | 572 | 3.28% | 0.10% |
| Writing | 1,156 | 5.45% | 804 | 4.61% | –0.68% |
| Continuing Care | 1,769 | 8.34% | 1,238 | 7.11% | -1.76% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- To what extent do we anticipate demand for these emerging skills to continue growing, or to sustain at these higher levels, in the future?
- Are we teaching emerging skills that experienced significant growth compared to demand earlier this year? If so, have we experienced increased interest/applications/enrollments in relevant programs? If not, how can we better communicate to prospective students that these offerings instill emerging skills?
Industries’ employer demand before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Job postings by industry, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Atlantic Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Industry | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Percentage Point Change |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 134 | 0.63% | 142 | 0.82% | 29.08% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 131 | 0.62% | 75 | 0.43% | 21.80% |
| Retail Trade | 1,671 | 7.87% | 1,848 | 10.61% | 10.67% |
| Information | 451 | 2.13% | 386 | 2.22% | 4.25% |
| Construction | 769 | 3.62% | 685 | 3.93% | 2.12% |
| Finance and Insurance | 1,203 | 5.67% | 1,004 | 5.76% | 1.66% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 75 | 0.35% | 164 | 0.94% | 0.89% |
| Public Administration | 794 | 3.74% | 370 | 2.12% | 0.60% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,164 | 19.62% | 3,414 | 19.59% | -0.13% |
| Educational Services | 1,788 | 8.43% | 1,345 | 7.72% | -1.96% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 2,728 | 12.85% | 2,090 | 12.00% | -6.68% |
| Utilities | 198 | 0.93% | 100 | 0.57% | -7.02% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 2,008 | 9.46% | 1,350 | 7.75% | -8.03% |
| Manufacturing | 2,034 | 9.58% | 1,501 | 8.62% | -8.95% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 395 | 1.86% | 293 | 1.68% | -9.65% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 259 | 1.22% | 244 | 2.40% | -11.81% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 332 | 1.56% | 182 | 1.04% | -14.41% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 817 | 3.85% | 551 | 3.16% | -15.47% |
| Wholesale Trade | 337 | 1.59% | 218 | 1.25% | -20.02% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 448 | 2.11% | 403 | 2.31% | -36.17% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our local industry demand shift during the coronavirus outbreak?
- Which industries suffered the most, as demonstrated by the greatest decline in job postings?
- To what extent do we suspect alumni already employed in hard-hit fields may lose their employment and need re-training to secure available jobs?
Top hiring employers after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top hiring employers
Questions for initial discussion:
- Do we partner with any of these employers with the highest demand in recent months?
Canada by region, Central
Changes in job postings volume
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our regional economy react to the coronavirus outbreak across April through September? Has our regional public health and economic response been consistent, or have we experienced improvements and declines throughout?
- How do our recent job posting trends contrast to this time last year? To what extent do we see this reflected in our students’ behaviors?
Changes in top occupations advertised regionally in 2018, 2019, and 2020
Top occupations
Top occupations for associate-level professionals
Top occupations for bachelor’s-level professionals
Top occupations for advanced degree professionals
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which roles, if any, experienced increased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? To what extent would past trends encourage us to anticipate a sustained increase? Or, do we anticipate the increase was driven by the outbreak and may decline once short-term needs are met?
- Do we offer programs to prepare students for in-demand roles?
- Which roles experienced decreased demand in 2020 relative to 2019 and 2018? Would industry projections as we recover from the coronavirus outbreak suggest future growth or continued decline for these roles?
- Should we temper expectations for relevant program enrollment?
- Is it likely these roles also suffered layoffs across recent months? Do we likely have alumni or community members who need re-training for reemployment?
Top skills sought regionally after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top skills sought
Questions for initial discussion:
- Which skills are in greatest demand as the coronavirus outbreak continues? Do we expect these trends to hold?
- Are we teaching in-demand skills? Can prospective students easily identify which programs teach these skills? Do employers recognize which of our programs develop these in-demand skills?
Changes in skills sought regionally before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Fastest-growing skills, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Central Canada Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Skill | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2019 | Number of Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, April-Sept. 2020 | Percent Change |
| Automation | 7,089 | 8.54% | 6,188 | 9.10% | 6.55% |
| Secondary Education | 4,892 | 5.89% | 4,233 | 6.22% | 5.62% |
| Auditing | 6,392 | 7.70% | 5,528 | 8.13% | 5.56% |
| Enthusiasm | 4,251 | 5.12% | 3,670 | 5.39% | 5.38% |
| Risk Management | 4,382 | 5.28% | 3,743 | 5.50% | 4.26% |
| Forecasting | 4,938 | 5.95% | 4,205 | 6.18% | 3.94% |
| Customer Relationship Management | 5,480 | 6.60% | 4,645 | 6.83% | 3.46% |
| Project Management | 7,343 | 8.84% | 6,037 | 8.87% | 0.35% |
| Java (Programming Language) | 5,679 | 6.84% | 4,605 | 6.77% | –1.02% |
| Software Engineering | 5,456 | 6.57% | 4,416 | 6.49% | –1.21% |
| Budgeting | 5,089 | 6.13% | 4,116 | 6.05% | –1.28% |
| Strategic Planning | 4,625 | 5.57% | 3,732 | 5.49% | –1.51% |
| Business Process | 4,802 | 5.78% | 3,817 | 5.61% | –2.98% |
| Accounting | 4,644 | 5.59% | 3,691 | 5.43% | –2.99% |
| Python (Programming Language) | 10,059 | 12.11% | 7,746 | 11.39% | –6.01% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- To what extent do we anticipate demand for these emerging skills to continue growing, or to sustain at these higher levels, in the future?
- Are we teaching emerging skills that experienced significant growth compared to demand earlier this year? If so, have we experienced increased interest/applications/enrollments in relevant programs? If not, how can we better communicate to prospective students that these offerings instill emerging skills?
Industries’ employer demand before and after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Job postings by industry, April-September 2020 relative to April-September 2019
Central Canada Regional Data, April-September 2020 Relative to April-September 2019
| Industry | Number of Job Postings, January-February 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, January-February 2020 | Number of Job Postings, March-April 2020 | Proportion of All Job Postings, March-April 2020 | Percentage Point Change |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 95,621 | 18.12% | 79,548 | 17.94% | 15.57% |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 78,334 | 14.84% | 66,684 | 15.04% | 15.57% |
| Manufacturing | 63,720 | 12.07% | 53,741 | 12.12% | 13.83% |
| Finance and Insurance | 60,300 | 11.42% | 49,326 | 11.13% | 15.57% |
| Educational Services | 41,579 | 7.88% | 35,468 | 8.00% | 15.57% |
| Information | 37,883 | 7.18% | 32,258 | 7.28% | 15.57% |
| Retail Trade | 34,300 | 6.50% | 30,198 | 6.81% | 13.83% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 27,364 | 5.18% | 23,559 | 5.31% | 13.40% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 14,732 | 2.79% | 13,197 | 2.98% | 12.03% |
| Public Administration | 13,405 | 2.54% | 12,914 | 2.91% | 10.17% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 10,781 | 2.04% | 8,554 | 1.93% | 9.93% |
| Wholesale Trade | 10,031 | 1.90% | 8,049 | 1.82% | 9.33% |
| Construction | 8,386 | 1.59% | 7,467 | 1.68% | 6.75% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 8,034 | 1.52% | 5,822 | 1.31% | 6.70% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4,388 | 0.83% | 3,908 | 0.88% | 6.42% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 4,040 | 0.77% | 3,289 | 0.74% | 5.63% |
| Utilities | 3,335 | 0.63% | 2,940 | 0.66% | 5.34% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,348 | 0.44% | 2,079 | 0.47% | 4.95% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 680 | 0.13% | 577 | 0.13% | 4.71% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 379 | 0.07% | 342 | 0.08% | 4.54% |
Questions for initial discussion:
- How did our local industry demand shift during the coronavirus outbreak?
- Which industries suffered the most, as demonstrated by the greatest decline in job postings?
- To what extent do we suspect alumni already employed in hard-hit fields may lose their employment and need re-training to secure available jobs?
Top hiring employers after the Canadian coronavirus outbreak
Top hiring employers
Questions for initial discussion:
- Do we partner with any of these employers with the highest demand in recent months?
Design credentials to meet adult student needs
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