May 22, 2006, Ottawa: In case you hadn't noticed, the Canadian tech sector is back and the most recent results
of an analysis of 600,000 Canadian tech workers prove it.
The Software Human Resources Council (SHRC) today released the 2006 labour force analysis of information technology
occupations in Canada and the data confirms that the unemployment rate in Canada's tech sector has dropped to a piddling 1.9 %.
This is the fifth edition of the study and while previous research has shown that the unemployment rate for all IT workers
has been consistently below the national average for the labour force as a whole, at the end of 2005 the rate dropped
to 1.9 % which reflects a very tight labour market in Canada. The rate had risen to as high as 5.8 in the summer of 2002.
This year's version of the analysis has been expanded to include data on 21 technology occupations in Canada up
from 17 occupations in previous years.
Paul Swinwood, President of the SHRC commented on the analysis saying that while conditions in the IT sector are at times volatile,
the latest analysis shows that the demand for skilled technology workers has been increasing steadily. "If you take away
the wild swings brought about by the dot.com boom and bust in the early 2000's, there has been a trend towards lower and lower
unemployment rates for all IT workers. The demand is strong and we think it will continue to increase."
Businesses in the Ottawa-Gatineau region acknowledge that they are experiencing a shortage of highly skilled IT workers. "With more
high tech companies than ever operating in Ottawa and close-to-record levels of employment, our growth is dangerously approaching a point
where workforce demand is starting to outstrip our supply," says Jeffrey Dale, President and CEO of Ottawa's local economic
development agency, OCRI. "Fortunately we are beginning to see efforts to boost the skills of those who are already qualified
yet remain unemployed, alongside initiatives aimed at attracting more students into science and technology courses."
The analysis also found that job tenure appears to be more secure within the industry. The proportion of workers
with short tenure (less than three years) has been falling and the proportion with long tenure (more than four
years) has been rising. There is also evidence in the analysis that average weekly wages for almost all the IT
occupational groups have been rising over the last few years.
This version of the analysis was based on about 600,000 Canadian IT workers, a level that has been consistent since 2003.
About the Software Human Resource Council
SHRC is a sector council that works for IT (informatics) professionals in Canada. Together with partners
from industry, government and education, SHRC addresses human resource issues related to IT employment.
SHRC engages in labour market intelligence, skills definition, career awareness and skills development.
www.shrc.ca.
For more information please contact Paul Swinwood at (613)-237-8551 or Shaun Markey
at 613-728-9951.