Ontario job hunters are eyeing new opportunities compared to the start of the year, with healthcare workers and professional and technical services in big demand.
TD Economics’ latest forecast says real GDP growth in Ontario will slow from 2.9 per cent to 0.7 per cent next year and fare only marginally better in 2024, with 1 per cent growth.
“After a strong first half, economic growth in Ontario is poised to slow sharply in the coming quarters,” wrote economists Beata Caranci, Derek Burleton, Rishi Sondhi, Jenny Duan in the forecast.
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In the face of that slowing of the economy, the unemployment rate in Ontario is expected to gradually nudge up from 5.6 per cent over the next two years to 6.3 per cent in 2023 and then 6.7 per cent in 2024.
Home sales are expected to take a hit, dropping by a third by the end of this year and falling another 16.4 per cent next year before finally climbing back out of that slump in 2024.
Along with that slowdown in home sales, the average price of a house in Ontario is also expected to soften with the economists forecasting a 12.3-per cent drop in house prices next year.
“Ontario’s job engine has also shifted into reverse in recent months, with the province losing about 70,000 jobs from June through August, and erasing a chunk of the gains made after industries reopened earlier in the year,” noted the economists.
Electric Vehicle Battery Production Buoying The Manufacturing Sector
A bright spot for the Ontario economy is its budding electric vehicle manufacturing industry with roughly $16 billion to be invested in the sector, including a $5 billion commitment by Stellantis to create the first battery manufacturing plant in Canada.
“Construction on this project is slated to begin this year with the plant operational by 2024,” noted TD Economics.
Foreign nationals eyeing Ontario as an immigration destination under federal and provincial economic immigration programs, including the employer job offer streams, need to pay extra careful attention as the economy shifts to this new reality.
Here are the 10 most-in-demand jobs in Ontario.
If you are a candidate looking for a Canada job, or an employer looking to recruit foreign talent from abroad, immigration.ca can help. Access our expertise through our in-house recruitment enterprise www.skilledworker.com, “the leader in foreign recruitment”.
1. Registered Nurses (NOC 3012)
Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing.
In late October, there were 13,460 job listings for registered nurses in Ontario on the Indeed.ca job website.
This occupation comes with a median annual wage of $76,050 in Ontario based on a 37.5-hour work week.
2. Physicians – Family (NOC 3112) and Specialists (3111)
Indeed listed 7,080 positions for family physicians and specialists in Ontario in late October.
General practitioners and family physicians diagnose and treat diseases, physiological disorders and injuries. In Ontario, they make a median annual salary of $ 228,362.
Specialists, a category that includes surgeons, diagnose and treat diseases and physiological or psychiatric disorders and act as consultants to other physicians. The Ontario median annual salary for a surgeon is $ 264,933.
3. Delivery Truck Driver (NOC 7514)
Drivers get materials, consumer goods and people where they need to be and are in big demand in Ontario with Indeed.ca listing 11,613 jobs for these workers in late October.
“Whether you have the credentials to operate large commercial vehicles or the detail-oriented nature required for local deliveries, chances are you can find an open position to match,” notes Randstad.
Truck drivers in Ontario earn a median annual wage of $40,950 based on a standard work week, according to the government’s Job Bank website.
4. Heavy Equipment Operators (NOC 7521)
Those workers who operate the heavy equipment used in the construction and maintenance of roads, bridges, airports, gas and oil pipelines, tunnels, buildings and other structures, in surface mining and quarrying activities, and in material handling work are in hot demand.
Indeed.ca listed 1,036 jobs for heavy equipment operators in Ontario in late October with most of those jobs being outside the Greater Toronto Area.
Employed by construction companies, heavy equipment contractors, public works departments and pipeline, logging, cargo-handling and other companies, these workers have a median annual income of $54,600 based on a standard work week in Ontario.
5. Software Developer (NOC 2174)
As the people who write, modify, integrate and test computer code for software applications, data processing applications, operating systems-level software and communications software, these information technology pros are in hot demand.
“This is one of the top jobs in part because businesses of all types and sizes need developers to create app solutions, develop or maintain in-house software or help implement cloud or other technologies,” notes Randstad.
“One of the lessons learned during COVID-19 lockdowns in recent years was that technology could make or break a business. Companies that seamlessly transitioned into remote work environments often fared better. Add to that the growing need to rely on data and automation to remain competitive, and it’s no wonder so many businesses are on the hunt for skilled developers.”
In Ontario, software developers earn a median annual wage of $78,000 based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, Job Bank data reveals. The Indeed job website had 1,557 such job listings for Ontario in late October.
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6. Sales Manager (NOC 0601)
Business development is a highly important aspect of any business – particularly when the economy is slowing down – and so sales managers are in hot demand in Ontario.
“With experience and a proven track record, they can earn as much as $175,000 annually,” notes Randstad. “They close deals, develop new client relationships and bring revenue in, which is why companies are willing to pay a premium for the best talent.”
In late October, Indeed.ca had 1,499 job listings for sales managers in Ontario. According to Job Bank, these jobs come with median annual earnings of $102,375 based on a standard workweek.
7. Cloud Architect (NOC 2171)
Cloud architects are a good example of how staying in school and developing expertise in an area can lead to big rewards upon graduation.
These are the people who analyze and test computer systems, develop and implement information technology development plans, policies and procedures and give critically-important advice on a range of systems issues.
“These positions pay well because it takes a lot to become a viable candidate,” notes Randstad. “Cloud architects typically have four-year degrees or an equivalent amount of education and experience. Employers may require candidates to hold certifications gained only through rigorous (and possibly expensive) testing.”
The payoff is a median annual salary of $80,800 for a standard workweek in Ontario and the security of knowing that there will be jobs available throughout Canada for this work for the foreseeable future. Job Bank gives its highest rating for the prospects of cloud architects in Canada.
Indeed had 1,789 job listings for cloud architects in late October.
8. Construction Trades (NOC) 7611
Despite the slowdown in the construction industry in Ontario in the past few months, there is still a huge pent-up demand for workers in the construction trades
These are the people who work at construction sites, in quarries and in surface mines, usually for construction companies, trade and labour contractors, and surface mine and quarry operators.
In late October, Indeed.ca had 13,036 job listings for those wanting to work in the construction trades in Ontario where Job Bank data indicates they earn a median annual income of $40,950 based on a standard work week.
9. Machining Tool Operators (NOC 9461)
These are the men and women who keep machine shops humming in the structural, plate work and related metal products fabrication and manufacturing and erecting companies.
On Indeed.ca in late October, there were 4,776 job listings for machine tool operators.
Job Bank data indicates they earn a median annual income of $66,500 in Ontario.
10. Cooks (NOC 6322) and Food and Beverage Servers (NOC 6513)
Restaurateurs in Ontario are hurting badly for cooks and servers as the hospitality sector faces an unprecedented labour shortage.
Indeed listed 6,171 jobs for cooks and another 3,694 jobs for servers in Ontario in late October.
The median annual income for a cook or a server in Ontario’s hospitality sector, based on a 37.5-hour work week, is $30,712.