THOUSANDS OF NEW JOBS
Things could be looking up for anyone seeking a job in Canada’s forest products sector. That’s the word from a Labour Market Intelligence Report released by the Forest Products Sector Council (FPSC-CSPF). They say in the “most likely” projection of moderate market demand for traditional and new products, between 170,000 and 193,000 workers will be needed by 2020. However, it could range as high as 235,000 workers and low as 150,000 depending on a number of key economic factors.
"It's a double-edged sword, however," says Keith Lancastle, FPSC-CPSF Executive Director. "More than 30 per cent - or 50,000 - of the current workers in this sector will retire or leave the in the next 10 years. While this report points to the scope of the opportunity - it also speaks to the serious challenges facing the industry. Where are we going to find these workers?"
The findings were released at the 24th Annual PwC Global Forest & Paper Industry Conference in Vancouver, B.C. in front of more than 400 executives, customers, suppliers, and government policy makers.
The report provides up-to-date labour market information for Canada's $57 billion forest products sector. It offers labour demand projections nationally and by region and product sub-sector to 2020 developed in consultation with labour market experts, economists and key sector stakeholders.
"Even in the most pessimistic, "worst case" projection, one which assumes a very weak economic outlook until 2020, the sector will still require an additional 40,000 new workers to remain sustainable," he says. "And that number potentially increases significantly given more promising outlooks for Canadian forest products."
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