Canada Report: More than 1 million job vacancies going unfilled across Canada

In a country of 38 million people, more than 1 million job vacancies are going unfilled.

This post-pandemic statistic is resulting in many businesses, primarily restaurants and food services, health care and manufacturing, to reduce work weeks and hours.

Financial analysts say this trend will lead to further interest rate increases.

With unfilled jobs totaling 1,014,600 in September, Statistics Canada said this is equal to 6% of all jobs and up from 3% a year ago.

The government agency said many of the unfilled jobs are in health care and social assistance sectors, as well as retail, accommodation and food services.

The health care and social assistance sectors had about 150,000 job openings nationwide. Job vacancies in the sectors were up 40.8% from last year.

There were also many openings available in construction, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and finance and insurance.

This is happening at a time when the jobless rate in Canada is at a record low of 4.9%.

Plea deal in works for woman who mailed poison to Trump

There are reports out of Montreal that U.S. prosecutors are seeking to reach a plea deal for the Canadian woman accused of mailing poison to former president Donald Trump.

The deal would include the charges Pascale Ferrier faces related to a letter containing ricin that was mailed to the White House in 2020.

The Quebec woman also faces 16 federal charges in Texas, where she is alleged to have mailed poison to several law enforcement officials.

Details of the deal were not disclosed, but Ferrier has until the end of June to accept.

Eight of the Texas counts alone carry a possible life sentence.

In brief

• With the seventh wave of COVID starting to wane, one of Canada’s top medical officers says people are becoming “too complacent and unconcerned.” Dr. Robert Strang of Nova Scotia said there is “still a lot of COVID around as the summer ends” and urges people, including young children, to get the vaccine and boosters as school resumes. While masks are said to be helpful to cap the spread, many schools and businesses aren’t enforcing the wearing of them.

Facts and figures

• The Canadian dollar is unchanged at 77 U.S. cents while the U.S. dollar returns $1.30 in Canadian funds, before exchange fees.

• The Bank of Canada’ key interest rate is steady at 2.5% while the prime lending rate at commercial banks is 4.7%.

• Canadian stock markets are lower, with the Toronto index at 19,955 points while the TSX Venture index is at 645 points.

• The average price for gas in Canada is lower at $1.63 a liter or $6.19 for a U.S. gallon in Canadian funds.

• Lotto Max: (Aug. 23) 9, 13, 14, 19, 37. 43 and 50; bonus 4. (Aug. 19) 5, 20, 26, 33, 35, 46 and 48; bonus 17.

• Lotto 6/49: (Aug. 24) 9, 15, 22, 24, 26 and 41; bonus 16. (Aug. 20) 1, 5, 11, 29, 40 and 49; bonus 22.

Regional briefs

• A “police incident” in which a man was arrested for intoxication has resulted in delays this weekend on British Columbia ferries on a major route between the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island. The Coastal Inspiration was forced to return to Duke Point. Police didn’t provide further information.

• In Toronto, investigators are investigating what caused a Toronto Islands ferry to ram into the dock. Several people had minor injuries among the 900 people on board.

• Lost in the Quebec wilderness for more than a month, Anishnaabe man Percy Poucachiche, 26, was found safe in the woods near Lac Simon. He was reported missing on July 21 and was last seen near his home. The man was found by teenagers taking a nighttime walk. Aside from him having sore feet, police said they want to find out more about his adventure in the woods.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Canadian employers struggle to fill a million job vacancies