Public employment declining
According to Statistics Canada, employment is down slightly in the public sector; in Q3 of this year, there were 3.6 million workers, or 12,000 fewer than in the previous quarter, for a 0.3% decrease. Some sectors showed an increase in the number of workers, however, such as health care and social services institutions (+ 0.4%), and provincial governments (+ 0.3%). Public sector employees represent 20.2% of workers in Canada, a proportion that is declining vs. Q3 2009, whereas it had been continually increasing since 2007.
Volunteering attractive for employers
According to a survey conducted by the DeVry Institute of Technology in Calgary, nine of ten people think that having volunteering experience on a résumé makes candidates more attractive to potential employers. Furthermore, three quarters of respondents think that having such experience, even if it is not in your field, is still helpful in your job search. Employers confirm that they consider volunteering an excellent way of acquiring skills that will later serve on the job. It allows you to learn about life on the job and how to work on a team.
91% of Ontario university graduates hired within six months
Despite an unfavourable economic context, most university graduates are finding work, says a study by the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. More than 91% of 19,402 graduates in 2008 were hired within six months. The fields of study with the highest employment rate after graduation (100%) were dentistry, forestry, medicine, optometry, theology and veterinary medicine. Ontario university graduates also earned more. Six months after graduating, their average annual salary was $42,904 and $49,469 two years after.
More than half of companies say no to Christmas shopping
Employees who had decided to get a head start on their Christmas shopping have been brought down to earth. 57% of Canadian IT managers reported that their companies had blocked access to online shopping sites, an increase over last year’s 40%. Among the 270 managers polled, 30% said they had authorized access to sites but were monitoring it to see if there was any excess. In this intensive holiday shopping season, these firms tolerate two hours of browsing online shopping sites a week. 26% of computer departments have authorized unlimited access.
Recruiting forecasts for early 2012
According to a Robert Half poll, 16% of managers expect to hire next quarter and only 2% are planning layoffs. The recruiting firm also studied differences between sectors: in accounting and finance, 10% are planning to increase staff and 1% to decrease, vs. 21% and 6% respectively in marketing. Forecasts are most encouraging in the legal sector for Q1 2012, with 36% of managers planning to hire and only 4% planning layoffs.
No recession in sight for Canada despite declining economic optimism
According to a study by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and RBC, only 27% of the 380 chartered accountants polled predict that Canada will fall into recession in the next six months. However, results also showed the growing pessimism regarding the Canadian economy over the next year. 16% of respondents were optimistic this quarter compared to 43% in Q3. Respondents viewed the situation in the US as much worse, with 62% expecting a recession there in the next six months and 71% saying that this could have a negative impact on their business.
Poor relationships: Top cause of leader failure
A global survey by Right Management says that the top reason for a leader’s failure is his or her inability or unwillingness to build relationships and a team environment, a point singled out by 40% of respondents in the survey of 1,439 CEOs and human resource professionals. Second was mismatch with the company culture (26%) and not delivering acceptable results (11%). Respondents were also asked to identify the predictors of leadership success: fit with company values and culture (68%), interpersonal skills (66%), motivation to lead (62%), and previous experiences (57%). The findings tended to be consistent across the countries where the survey was conducted.