The Canadian labour market has undoubtedly been negatively impacted by the pandemic. The rising number of cases and increased restrictions caused the country to lose 213,000 jobs at the beginning of the year, with part-time work in Central Canada bearing most of the brunt in industries such as food services, retail, culture, and recreation. As a result, the unemployment rate jumped to 9.4 per cent in January, the highest it’s been since August last year.

Fortunately, all is not lost in the job market. With the vaccine rollout, Canada’s job sectors are expected to bounce back, especially in industries that have proven themselves essential during the pandemic. In fact, a new report by Randstad, one of the world’s biggest HR firms, reveals that COVID-19 has paved the way for new job opportunities in various areas that weren’t as readily apparent as before.

Here’s a quick look at the jobs that are in high demand this year.

Customer service representatives and IT and support desk specialists

According to research by RBC, the lockdowns at the start of the pandemic led to about five million Canadians working from home, and by October 2020, 2.4 million Canadians who normally don’t work from home continued to do so.

As a result, companies had to attend to their customers and clients remotely, increasing the need to hire more customer service representatives. Those who normally relied on in-house IT personnel when they had IT issues at their workplace have had to depend on remote IT and support desk specialists for their IT problems at home, as they now work from there.

Delivery drivers, procurement and supply chain specialists, and warehouse workers

With the temporary and permanent closures of favourite retail shops, the majority of customers have now turned to online shopping. This means that there is a greater need for procurement and supply chain specialists and warehouse workers to fulfill purchases, and get them delivered properly and punctually to customers.

IT and data security specialists

With many companies implementing the move for their employees to work from home, there has been increased risk to cybersecurity. Even Zoom video calls have been prone to hacks, and there have been several incidents reported within Canada. Some employers are well aware of this type of threat and have strengthened their cybersecurity measures by hiring more data security specialists.

Essential retail workers and cleaners and maintenance workers

We wouldn’t have survived this pandemic for as long as we have if not for the essential workers like grocery clerks and sanitation workers bravely going to work and fulfilling their duties. Supermarket employees have kept the shelves stocked amidst panic buying and other unusual shopping behaviours. Who can forget the toilet paper melee during the first few months of COVID-19?

Registered nurses

And finally, we all owe a big thank you to the health care workers like registered nurses who worked hard to keep our health in check and our loved ones safe. The toll on them has been overwhelming, and there is now an increased demand for qualified health care and personal support workers to ensure we all remain in good hands during this pandemic or if another virus outbreak hits the globe again.

Now, which of the above-mentioned are of interest to you the most?

SOURCES

https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/unemployment-rate-canada_ca_601d4c22c5b618b31987ca9d

https://globalnews.ca/news/7579576/canadas-top-jobs-2021-randstad/