Labour Shortage Worsens During Pandemic
MONCTON–Labour shortages were already a problem before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. But the situation has only worsened in the past two years, according to the CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton.
John Wishart says he spends a large part of his day devoted to labour issues.
“If I talk to 100 business owners, I think 99 of them would say they can’t find enough workers. It’s not just lower-paying jobs in the service industry, it’s manufacturing plants and it’s office environments,” Wishart says.
He says the numbers simply don’t add up with more people leaving the workforce than entering it.
“That’s why things like increased immigration, which unfortunately was slowed during Covid, is so important. We’re hoping that once all the border restrictions are dropped and Covid is under control that we may see a return to those record immigration levels we saw in 2019.”
Wishart would also encourage anyone who was receiving federal government support during Covid-19 to get back in the game.
He adds as many people as possible are needed back in the workforce to meet the labour challenges.
Allan Dearing is a reporter with 91.9 The Bend in Moncton, a Huddle content partner.