Need a job? These are Manitoba’s most in-demand occupations
Manitoba’s labour force is growing at a rate to supply enough workers for available positions into 2026, according to the province’s labour market outlook.
When digging into certain jobs and sectors, however, there are “many occupations and industries that will… face labour gaps over the next five years,” the outlook notes.
Most sorely needed in Manitoba are truck drivers, with the province expected to see an annual vacancy rate of 470 and an expected 4,300 vacant positions by 2026.
“Without a truck you can’t get goods anywhere, you need them,” said Chris Ferris, senior economist with Economic Development Winnipeg, adding that a trucker shortage has been affecting Manitoba for a number of years.
“It keeps intensifying, though, as truckers have been getting older and there hasn’t been as much replacement,” said Ferris.
Truck drivers are the most in-demand job in Manitoba that doesn’t require a post-secondary degree, making it a position that could be filled by new immigrants, Ferris said.
That’s a strategy welcomed by the Manitoba Truckers Association.
“Whatever opportunities are available, we want that smooth path, whether they be young adults or new Canadians, we want to fill these roles with safe and skilled drivers,” said Susan Green, communications officer with the Manitoba Truckers Association.
Manitoba is also facing a labour shortage of workers with a background in business.
Retail and wholesale trade manager is tied with nurse as the second-most-in-demand job in Manitoba, behind truck drivers, with an expected annual vacancy rate of 295 for both positions.
A need for graduates with a background in management and business is also cited labour market shortfall by the province’s economic outlook, especially as 87% of job vacancies in managerial roles are expected to come from retirements in the years ahead.
The Manitoba Chambers of Commerce says making Manitoba attractive to entrepreneurs and workers with managerial experience will be crucial in addressing this labour gap.
“Those people that are professionals can look at other jurisdictions where they can earn the most and keep the most money,” said Chuck Davidson, president and CEO with the Manitoba Chambers of Commerce, “Manitoba hasn’t been competitive in those areas.”
“We need to put a lens on that and figure out how we keep those people here in Manitoba,” said Davidson.
A need for graduates with a background in management and business is also cited labour market shortfall by the province’s economic outlook, especially as 87% of job vacancies in managerial roles are expected to come from retirements in the years ahead. (Source: CTV News)
One simple reason skilled workers ranging from business professionals to teachers (also in high demand here in Manitoba) to nurses may be leaving Manitoba is cold, hard cash.
The average weekly earnings for a worker in Manitoba, across all industries, is ten per cent lower than the national average.
“We’re operating in a national labour market,” said Fletcher Baragar, associate professor of economics at the University of Manitoba.
“(Skilled workers) are attractive applicants to employers in other provinces and the wage difference may be a factor as to why they consider picking up and leaving,” he said.
Making Manitoba enticing to skilled workers, especially when it comes to earnings and taxation, is something the provincial government is working on, said Economic Development, Investment and Trade Minister Jeff Wharton.
Wharton adds there are existing elements to living and working in Manitoba that are already a boon to workers, a message that needs to be sent out to prospective employees.
“We have excellent housing pricing which is very competitive. We have some of the lowest hydro rates in the country. We have a lot to offer,” said Wharton, “But we need to continue to focus on those young graduates getting out of school and keeping them here working in Manitoba.”
While workers with specific skillsets will certainly be in high demand in Manitoba for years to come, so will jobs that require less formal training.
In fact, the educational category facing the largest labour gap is “no post-secondary,” with 3,860 jobs that only require a high school education or on-the-job training.
To address a shortage of workers – from university graduates to high school grads – the provincial government is looking to immigration to play a role.
“One of those areas we can look at… is increased immigration and looking for skillsets to fill the jobs that are here,” said Wharton.
Manitoba did see an uptick in immigration rates in the last year. Upwards of 40,000 immigrants entered Manitoba in 2022, well above the 5-year average of about 13,000 immigrants.
Population increases by immigration in 2022 were offset by interprovincial migration for a net population growth of 33, 489, or a rate of 2.36%, among the highest on record in Manitoba.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.