Finding and training workers continues to challenge employers, says report

Trucking HR Canada’s (THRC) latest Labour Market Information (LMI) snapshot for the second quarter of 2024 shows challenges remain for employers to find and train workers in all occupations, particularly non-driver positions.

“The latest report shows our sector added 13,600 jobs in Q2 2024, mostly in positions other than transport truck drivers,” says Craig Faucette, chief program officer, Trucking HR Canada. “We are expecting the need to recruit and train new workers into non-driver roles to increase.”

Highlights of the report include:

• Employment in the trucking and logistics sector increased by 1.8 per cent in Q2 2024 compared to Q2 2023, with the addition of 13,600 jobs. While job gains were marginal for transport truck drivers — up just 0.1 per cent or 200 drivers — more significant employment increases were observed in other occupations.
• Labour supply for trucking and logistics dipped slightly in Q2 2024 but remains up compared to Q2 2023. The total supply of labour (both employed and unemployed workers) increased steadily through 2023 and into 2024. At just over 801,000 workers in Q2 2024, the sector’s labour supply declined by 6,000 workers compared to the previous quarter, but is 2.8 per cent higher than in Q2 2023 — up 21,800 workers.
• According to THRC’s 2023 employer survey, 40 per cent of trucking and logistics sector employers expect that recruiting and training workers in non-driver occupations will continue to be very or extremely challenging.

LMI is actionable intelligence pertaining to the supply and demand of labour. It puts raw data into context and facilitates better decisions by employers, workers, job seekers, policymakers, educators, career practitioners, academics, students, parents and more.

Trucking HR Canada’s LMI reports are prepared by its team of analysts using customized tables from Statistics Canada’s Census and Labour Force Survey data, as well as qualitative and quantitative research directly from employers that fills gaps in the publicly available data.

THRC produces quarterly labour market snapshots and a variety of special reports to help meet the industry’s HR challenges by providing relevant, accurate, timely and actionable data.