Nearly three-quarters (74%) of Canadian small business owners believe it’s getting harder to find employees, according to a report released this morning.
The American Express Small Business Monitor found that while 69% of Canadian small businesses are confident in their ability to attract and keep good employees, 11% reported never finding the right person for a job, and 28% said they had had jobs open for up to three months before finding the right candidate.
Additionally, 64% of responding small business owners said they believe the demands of today’s job applicants exceed their qualifications.
Nor are respondents expecting things to improve anytime soon.
The report also found:
- nearly half of small businesses (46%) are anticipating a labour shortage in the coming years as the Baby Boomer generation retires;
- 32% are concerned about how this will impact operations; and
- 23% expect to replace a significant proportion of employees in the near future.
Jenny Wagler
@JennyWagler_BIV