TORONTO – With the elections in the rear-view mirror, the focus for Canadians is on the path forward. Part of that includes a government working towards ending to the pandemic, improving affordability and sustainability while stepping up economic recovery efforts and creating better jobs.
The latest job numbers by Statistics Canada suggest Canada is on track. Data shows the economy added 90,200 jobs last month. The gains in August, which follow the additional 94,000 jobs in July and 231,000 in June, have pushed employment in the service sector to pre-pandemic levels.
Throughout the pandemic, the type of jobs that have thrived are those that can be done remotely and those related to the production and sale of essential goods. As the job market continues to evolve in the wake of Covid-19, the list of some of the fastest growing jobs in North America, aside from those in the recovery phase, portray an interesting picture of the future labour market.
When considering job growth over the next decade, the highest increases are in the sectors of renewable energy, healthcare and information technology. For instance, Wind turbine service technicians rank number one as the fastest growing jobs in North America, as reported by the Visual Capitalist using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS). Although the figures are from the US, the job trends in Canada are relatively comparable.
By the year 2030, the number of technicians is expected to increase by 68.2% from the year 2020. That translates into 4,700 more people employed in that line of work. In 2020, the median annual wage for a wind turbine service technician was equivalent to $71,720 CAD.
With the influx of Covid-19 patients in healthcare facilities throughout the healthcare crisis, the shortage of nurses has exposed a chronic issue that existed long before the pandemic began. It is no surprise to find nurse practitioners rank number two on the list. In the next decade, the number of individuals in this profession, with a median salary equivalent to $142,450, is expected to increase by 114,900. That represents an increase of 52.2%.
As the green energy sector gains momentum, over the next ten years, the job market is expected to experience a 52.1% employment increase in solar panel installers. Ranked as the third fastest growing occupation, it is projected that 6,100 more jobs will be created in this line of work. One with a median average annual wage of $59,280.
Among the top 10 fastest growing jobs, half of them are related to the healthcare field. As the population ages and with older age comes an increase in healthcare needs along with a rise in chronic conditions, plenty of opportunities exist in this sector. Albeit one of the lowest paying salaries, about $34,540 annually, home health and personal care aides are expected to increase by 32.6% in the next decade. That represents just over 1.1 million new jobs in that line of work.
Those who have a penchant for numbers and analytics, will find more opportunities as a statistician. The creation of roughly 14,900 new jobs in expected over the next decade, reflective of a 35.4% increase in the field. This increase is also driven by the fact more people and companies have adapted to working from home.
As the world of work evolves, creating better opportunities and building a stronger more robust workforce may be the key to a resilient economic future.
P. Pajdo is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter