Manufacturers face immediate labour shortage

Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) recently issued its biannual “Management Issues Survey” (MIS). The results of the study show that Canadian manufacturers are struggling to find workers with the right skills, and they are deeply concerned about Canada’s eroding business competitiveness.

Survey results show that 69 per cent of respondents face immediate labour shortages, and the number rises to 75 per cent when the time frame is expanded to the next five years. In both cases, shortages are seen mainly in skilled production fields.

Manufacturers identify a lack of students choosing manufacturing careers as well as a lack of the necessary skill set of current workers as the reasons behind the shortages.

Additionally, more than half of the respondents feel that the federal government is not investing enough to help grow and build a strong manufacturing sector in Canada. Manufacturers are calling for a more competitive business tax regime and for enhanced supports for investing in machinery.

The 2018 MIS received 540 responses representing all regions of the country.