2nd Annual Express Employment Professionals

2nd Annual Express Employment Professionals

Hot Job Markets Labour Day Study Released

Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec New Top Spot for Hot Jobs

Western Canada Markets Cool, The East Holds Steady

Toronto, Sept. 2, 2015 - Express Employment Professionals today released its second annual survey of hot job markets in Canada . The once over-heated Western Canadian job markets have cooled, while Eastern Canada has held steady. Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, is now the hottest job market in the country, measured by jobs available per 1,000 population.

"This year's survey has again produced surprising results - finding hot job markets in traditionally higher unemployment regions," said Bob Funk, CEO of Express Employment Professionals. "Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, has replaced Fort McMurray, Alberta, as the hottest job market in the country.  We are also seeing a clear cooling of once overheated job markets in the West along with the more stable Eastern job markets.

The 2015 results, outlined below, show an even 50/50 split of the top 10 hot job markets between the two regions. In 2014, seven out of the top 10 hot job markets in Canada were found in the Western region of the country.

In 2015, the hottest job market in the country is Saint-Hyacinthe in the Montérégie region of Quebec, southeast of Montreal. The area has a diverse economic base, including a strong dairy community, Quebec's largest agricultural fair, a community college, and a biotech forestry plant. A new bio-methane plant just opened in the area in June

Saint-Hyacinthe's neighbouring municipality, Drummondville, Quebec, took the second spot. The actual number of jobs in these regions has not changed dramatically since 2014, but in comparison to the cooling job market in the West, the rate of job availability per 1,000 people has held steady.
Grand Prairie, Alberta, rounded out the top three.

The 2014 hottest job market, Wood Buffalo, Alberta, (better known as Fort McMurray, AB, the home of the oil sands), dropped from the top spot to No. 6 in 2015.

In terms of the larger cities (population 500,000 plus), four cities made the top 20 list; Edmonton (Ranked 8th overall), Mississauga (10th), Vancouver (15th), and Calgary (19th). 

If you would like to arrange for an interview with Bob Funk to discuss this topic, please contact Kellie Major at (613) 222-7488.

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About Robert A. Funk

Robert A. "Bob" Funk is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment Professionals. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, the international staffing company has franchises in the U.S., Canada and South Africa. Under his leadership, Express has put more than five million people to work worldwide. Funk served as the Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City and was also the Chairman of the Conference of Chairmen of the Federal Reserve.

About Express Employment Professionals and Express in Canada

Express Employment Professionals puts people to work. It generated $2.85 billion in sales and employed more than 456,000 people in 2014. Express ranks as the second largest privately held staffing company in North America. Its long-term goal is to put a million people to work annually. Express launched in Canada in July 1996, with a franchise in London, Ontario, and since then, has expanded and grown across Canada significantly. There are currently 36 Express franchises in Canada - five in British Columbia, five in Alberta, two in Saskatchewan, 23 in Ontario and one in Nova Scotia.