Employment Opportunities Will Increase in 2024, Recruitment Firm Predicts

A hiring sign is displayed on a business in this file photo. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)

Job searchers may discover a friendlier market this year with a Canadian recruitment company predicting more decent-paying jobs opening up for those without university degrees.

HR and recruitment company Randstad Canada says it expects 2024 to be a year of “varied employment opportunities” in more accessible fields that don’t require a university education.

“Today’s market offers an impressive diversity of interesting opportunities, among which any job seeker can find something they like,”  Randstad Canada executive vice-president Brent Dul said in a Jan. 11 press release.

“It’s a good time to reflect on your aspirations and look for a role that matches your career goals, no matter how many diplomas you have. It’s shaping up to be a very positive year for job seekers.”

In keeping with that trend, Randstad released its list this week of its predictions for the 15 most in-demand jobs in Canada this year.

The list included professional positions such as mechanical engineers and marketing managers but Mr. Dal noted there is also a growing demand in trades for electricians and welders.

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“The same applies to professions that specialize in customer service or customer experience,” he said. “We know that workers in 2024 are increasingly looking for flexibility, and positions requiring face-to-face presence can pose challenges.”

Randstad ranked the top 15 jobs this year and the average salary range for each:

• 1. Administrative assistant—$37,000-$99,000
• 2. Sales associate—$46,000-$84,000
• 3. Scheduler/planner—$46,000-$84,000
• 4. HR business partner—$75,000-$156,000
• 5. Logistics coordinator—$62,000-$122,000
• 6. Customer service representative—$43,000-$74,000
• 7. Marketing manager—$62,000-$122,000
• 8. Mechanical engineer—$66,000-$131,000
• 9. Financial analyst—$62,000-$142,000
• 10. Pharmaceutical assistant—$40,000-$60,000
• 11. Accounting technician—$39,000-$114,000
• 12. Software developer—$68,000-$137,000
• 13. Electrician—$55,000-$77,000
• 14. Development and Operations Process Engineer—$66,000-$131,000
• 15. Welder—$40,000-$74,000

For those who prefer working at home, Randstad also released a list of its predictions for the best remote jobs earlier this month. There was some overlap between the two lists with administrative assistants taking the top spot on both. Customer service representatives, sales associates, financial analysts, and software developers were also on both lists.

“We know that workers in 2024 are increasingly looking for flexibility, and positions requiring face-to-face presence can pose challenges in this respect,” Mr. Dul said. “Employers looking to fill these positions must be creative to attract job seekers.”

Randstad, in its report, said it expects the shift toward remote work to “persist beyond 2024 as the cost of living crisis endures.”

The unemployment rate has held steady over the past few months, coming in at 5.8 percent in December, Statistics Canada said in a Jan. 5 report. The agency said the economy added a total of 100 jobs in the final month of 2023. The result came as the number of full-time jobs fell by 23,500 in December, offset by a gain of 23,600 part-time jobs.

Statistics Canada said overall employment growth slowed in the second half of 2023, averaging 23,000 per month compared with 48,000 per month in the first six months of the year.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.