After a stroll past many local businesses, it is no secret that employers are having trouble finding staff. Many shop windows feature a sign that reads “Help Wanted” or perhaps it’s “We’re Hiring!”
Following 17 months of the pandemic and its uncertainty, businesses are ready to welcome customers at 100% capacity, but New Brunswickers are not rushing to get back to work.
“As we start to come out of COVID, there is more of a hire back phenomenon that’s happening among the business community,” said John Wishart, CEO of the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton.
According to Wishart, businesses in the service sector such as restaurants, retailers and tourism sites have been the most affected.
One factor that can be attributed to the shortage of applicants is the lack of newcomers entering the country. Immigration, an economic driver for New Brunswick, has been put on the back burner, keeping the many people looking for work in Canada on the other side of the border.
In addition, Wishart believes the federal programs created to combat the economic impacts of the pandemic, could now be disincentivizing New Brunswickers.
“Getting EI at 500 dollars a week or going to work for a little bit more is a bit of question.”
Requirements for EI in Canada include 120 insured work hours compared to the 420 hours needed prior to the pandemic.
“We are encouraging the federal government to get back to a more rigid EI system that incentivizes people to get back in the workforce,” said Wishart.
Without a full return of the workforce, local businesses could fall short in their recovery from COVID-19.
“Businesses will not be able to take as much of the advantage of the reopening of the economy as they could if they’re forced into limiting hours because they don’t have the workforce.”
