By Justine Féron
As the Christmas retail rush approaches, help wanted signs have become a common sight in the windows of Centretown businesses. But with Canada’s unemployment level at a 33-year low, store owners may have difficulty filling this season’s service sector jobs.
Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey pegged Canada’s unemployment rate at 5.8 per cent in October. At five per cent, Ottawa-Gatineau’s October unemployment rate was even lower.
Statistics Canada analyst Vincent Ferrao says these low rates are great for job seekers but create challenges for local businesses.
“At five per cent Ottawa-Gatineau unemployment, we’re nearing an all-time low,” says Ferrao. “It’s difficult for employers because there are now fewer people looking for jobs, and those who are may be demanding higher wages or improved benefits.”
On Sparks Street, posters taped to the glass doors of International Clothiers announce the chain is hiring.
But manager Kathleen Hall says the posters have generated little interest.
“At our other Ottawa locations, they set up booths to talk about the company and try to recruit employees, but we don’t get enough people looking for jobs around here to warrant that approach,” she says. “We try to get people in by putting up posters, but I still get hardly any resumés.”
Some Centretown stores are offering creative perks and incentives in an effort to attract and keep employees.
The Elgin Street location of market research firm Opinion Search hopes to attract interest by entering newly-hired employees into a draw to win an iPod.
Tim Hortons’ Bank and Gloucester location is offering on-the-spot interviews to get job seekers hired and working as soon as possible.
Like other company locations, the store is also promoting Tim Horton’s new student scholarship initiative, which awards 220 scholarships valued at $1,000 to employees who are active in their communities.
Kevin Pidgeon, president of Ottawa sporting goods chain Tommy & Lefebvre, says employee perks help explain why he has little difficulty attracting employees in times of low unemployment.
“All of our staff members ski and ride for free and our managers get free equipment for the year,” says Pidgeon.
“These perks are necessary to keep your staff happy when unemployment’s low, especially because we do so much of our recruiting through referrals from current employees.”
Like International Clothiers, Tommy & Lefebvre’s Bank Street location has a help wanted sign taped to its door. Pidgeon says the sign has been effective at generating interest from job seekers.
“It’s been working for us, but I know that a lot of other businesses around here are suffering, especially the unskilled segment of retail, like some restaurants and big box stores.”
Ottawa’s low unemployment rate isn’t bad news for everyone. Andrew Mackinder says he and his friends have found it much easier to find jobs as the city’s unemployment rate has fallen.
“I found a job selling wireless phones even though I had no previous sales experience, and it was probably easier because I was competing against fewer people,” he says. “A few years ago, when I got a job working as a cashier at Loeb, the process was much tougher.”
“Its not like Calgary yet, with just 3 per cent employment,” Ferrao says. “But as Ottawa-Gatineau’s rates head towards full employment, companies are going to have to work harder to attract employees.”