Where will the workers come from?

The Government of Newfoundland Labrador’s Labour Market analysis Outlook 2020 predicts 70,000+ job openings by 2020 due to new job growth and retirement.

• Population (age 15 – 59) forecasted to decline by 35,700 people by 2020

With an aging and retiring workforce, mega projects on the horizon, and nearly half as many school children enrolled as there were 30 years ago, where are our workers going to come from?

As soon as employers and residents of NL understand and embrace the fact that foreign workers are going to be part of our workforce going forward, we will be able to conduct business without worrying about labour shortages, which will enable employers to prosper. Take a look at the figures below for some more interesting information.

• Expansion demand mostly due to major projects, creating pressure in the next 3-5 years
• Employers most impacted are those least equipped to deal with the challenges of recruitment and retention

Major Projects:

Muskrat Falls

• Total employment required: 2,225

IOC Expansion

• IOC needs to replace almost 50% of its trade workforce over the next 5 years (174 trades)
• Currently has 46 trades vacancies to fill with more forecasted over the next year
• Experiencing extreme difficulties in hiring Journeypersons (JP)