Even though the labor market is leaning to their advantage in a context of labor scarcity, not many Canadian workers have taken the opportunity to see if the grass was greener elsewhere.
In December 2021, the rate of people who left one job for another without claiming unemployment was 0.63%, slightly lower than the pre-pandemic average of 0.7% (2011 to 2019), according to the 2021 Employment Report of the Institut du Québec (IDQ). “There hasn’t been much change in this rate for two years, on whether or not people want to change jobs,” notes Mia Homsy, president and CEO of the IDQ.
Recently, several polls indicate a strong interest on the part of Canadians to change employers. In the spring of 2021, 42% of respondents to a survey by the Canadian Center for the Mission of Enterprise said they were considering changing jobs. In December 2021, 43% of respondents to a Randstad Canada survey said they were likely to look for a new job in the coming year.
For now, Statistics Canada data belies concerns about a significant increase in quits and turnover rates within companies.
“It is true that there have been surveys within the framework of the analysis of teleworking which poll people on their intention to change jobs where the rates [de personnes qui disent songer à changer d’emploi] are higher, replies Ms. Homsy. When you look in reality, people don’t seem to necessarily do that. »
Could the situation change? Mrs. Homsy ignores him. “Obviously, the tighter the market, the more opportunities there are and the more people know there are opportunities. They may be tempted to change jobs to improve their conditions, but we haven’t seen that happen yet. »
No “Great Resignation”
Quebec has not been the subject of a massive movement of resignations like in the United States, but the employment rate in certain segments of the population has not yet caught up with its pre-pandemic threshold, still according to the IDQ’s 2021 employment report.
The phrase “Great Resignation” has been circulating widely in the United States as millions of workers are said to have voluntarily quit their jobs in the wake of the pandemic. The same phenomenon does not seem to have occurred in Quebec.
This is demonstrated by the rate of participation in the labor market, believes Mia Homsy, president and CEO of the institute. “When we look at the participation rate, we see that we are almost back to the rate that prevailed before the pandemic. »
The situation is different in the United States. In December 2021, the activity rate for people aged 15 and over was 61.9%, still below the average of 63.1% for 2019. In Quebec, this rate was 64.3% in 2021, compared to 64.9% in 2019.
The labor market demonstrated its resilience in 2021. Nearly 156,900 people returned to employment after the pandemic shock of 2020. The number of unemployed also fell by 94,900 people.
For Quebecers aged 25-54, the activity rate has caught up to its pre-pandemic threshold and is even higher than that of Ontario. “It’s not just because the labor market is strong, it’s also because we have an aging population and we have to fill these departures with other people. We’re going to tap into the unemployed, the people who weren’t sure they were able to get a job and who are coming back to the job market. »
A question also remains about workers over 55, whereas 25,700 of them have left the labor market, without necessarily having retired. The IDQ is not in a position to determine the cause, but Ms. Homsy believes that the situation must be closely monitored. “Someone who participates in the labor market is a net gain for society, regardless of the number of vacancies. But it’s even worse when you know the extent of the needs” in a context of labor scarcity.