Ontario's labour shortage continues to worsen as retail sector braces for busy holiday season

Ontario's labour market is continuing to see a dire shortage of workers to fill jobs as the retail sector braces for a busy holiday season

Labour experts call the continuing trend worrisome and say the federal government needs to ramp up its immigration efforts to bring workers from abroad.

Rocco Rossi, president and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, says more than 60 per cent of the organization's members across all labour sectors are "experiencing difficulty in filling positions.

"It spans the gamut from health care, nursing and other areas to construction to the tourism sector, hospitality to the financial services sector, so it is not unique to one sector," Rossi said.

Rossi says the growing number of people retiring coupled with a decline in immigration during the COVID-19 pandemic, have contributed to the growing labour shortage in the province.

"It really starts with making sure that the federal government puts the necessary resources behind dealing with the enormous backlog on the immigration front," he said.

"There are waiting lists of over 30 months now of all kinds of very talented people who could be filling positions today."

Michelle Wasylyshen, spokesperson for the Retail Council of Canada, says labour shortages are an ongoing challenge.

"With some of the busiest shopping months upon us retailers are particularly concerned with this issue," said Wasylyshen, pointing to Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the Christmas season.

Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket, Ont, is holding a job fair this weekend in an effort to fill about 220 positions — more than double the number of openings in its last fair in March.

Christine Seidman, the mall's marketing manager, says the job fair is the largest hiring event the mall has held. More than 40 retailers are expected to try to recruit employees for what is expected to be one of the mall's "busiest shopping holidays," she said.

"Our retailers are telling us that they're finding it more and more challenging to fill positions," Seidman told CBC Toronto.

Meantime in Mississauga, west of Toronto, Square One also held a job fair Thursday seeking 250 workers for part-time, full-time and seasonal positions at the largest shopping mall in all of Ontario.

Other sectors in Ontario are also feeling the pressure, including the construction industry