Updated Tourism Labour Supply and Demand study shows that the labour force will not be able to keep up with demand.
June 7, 2010 - The Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council (CTHRC) is pleased to announce the release of the latest update of the Tourism Labour Supply and Demand study, The Future of Canada’s Tourism Sector: Economic Recession Only a Temporary Reprieve from Labour Shortages. The update was based on the Conference Board of Canada’s macroeconomic model that analyzes the supply and demand of labour for the total tourism sector.
While the economic downturn created a surplus of labour in 2009 and 2010, Canada’s tourism sector will see labour shortages return in 2012. These shortages will increase in severity over the next 15 years. The updated Tourism Labour Supply and Demand study reports significant growth in demand for labour but slower growth in the number of workers available to meet the demand. The consequences of the predicted labour shortage, such as lack of investor interest in the sector and inability of tourism sector businesses to meet demand, could cost Canada billions of dollars.
With data broken down by city, province and occupation, highlights of the report include:
- Spending on tourism goods and services in Canada could rise from $145 billion in 2007 to more than $201 billion in 2025
- Labour demand could grow 27% from 1.67 million jobs in 2007 to 2.12 million jobs in 2025
- Food and beverage services would suffer the largest labour shortage among all tourism industries
With a section on priorities for action for the tourism sector, employers are encouraged to review this report, plan for the future, and be prepared for the labour shortage. Please click here to view the full report: The Future of Canada’s Tourism Sector: Economic Recession Only a Temporary Reprieve from Labour Shortages.
