Canada’s workforce ‘has never been older’, statistics agency says

Statistics Canada warns Canada’s quickly ageing workforce is one in every of elements behind labour shortages in some industries.

Statistics Canada says seven million folks at the moment are aged 65 and older, accounting for about 19 p.c of the nation's complete inhabitants of 37 million [File: Jason Lee/Reuters]

A report variety of Canadians are set to retire, the nation’s statistics company has mentioned, warning of a looming labour disaster linked to the ageing nationwide workforce.

Statistics Canada mentioned on Wednesday that the working-age inhabitants – these aged 15 to 64 – “has by no means been older”, whereas over 1 in 5 employees in Canada (21.8 p.c) have been nearing the necessary or proposed retirement age of 65.

“That is an all-time excessive within the historical past of Canadian censuses and one of many elements behind the labour shortages going through some industries throughout the nation,” the company mentioned.

It cited the so-called child boomer era – folks born between 1946 and 1965 – that's exiting the labour drive as one of many elements accelerating inhabitants ageing.

“There are challenges related to an older workforce, together with data switch, retaining skilled staff, and workforce renewal,” it mentioned.

Canada’s ageing inhabitants has been a matter of concern for a number of years.

Statistics Canada mentioned final yr that among the hardest jobs to fill included restaurant employees, development labourers, nurses and social employees [File: Christinne Muschi/Reuters]

In 2020, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s authorities mentioned it will deliver in additional than 1.2 million new immigrants over three years to assist fill gaps within the labour market and stimulate the nation’s financial system amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino mentioned on the time that Canada wanted extra employees “and immigration is the best way to get there”.

However Statistics Canada mentioned on Wednesday that “immigration has a rejuvenating impact on the Canadian inhabitants, however this impact will not be sufficient to cease the inhabitants ageing course of”.

In late 2021, the company mentioned in a separate report that there have been almost a million unfilled positions throughout Canada, greater than double the earlier yr. Among the hardest jobs to fill included restaurant employees, development labourers, nurses and social employees.

Statistics Canada mentioned seven million folks at the moment are aged 65 and older, accounting for about 19 p.c of the full inhabitants of 37 million, whereas the variety of folks aged 85 and older might triple by 2046.

The demographic shift, it mentioned, was linked to low fertility, a rise in life expectancy, and the truth that the so-called child increase era started turning 65 in 2011.