Labour Market Insights
Engineering and Part Time Work: Top Occupations and In-Demand Jobs for Windsor-Essex for February 2024
Fresh off the heels of the holidays, both jobseekers and employers were ready to move forward with job search and hiring in February. This month, we’re looking at which occupations jobseekers are looking for and how that compares to the jobs employers are posting, an increase in hiring for certain types of engineers, as well as interest in part time work over full time work.
In February 2024, there were 5,237 total active job postings from 1,859 companies for an increase of 21% total active job postings from the previous month. While the total active job postings are up from the previous month, the number of new job postings decreased by 2% at 2,996 new jobs posted in the month of February, although they had been up 65% in January 2024 over December 2023. The Job Board received 23,642 job post clicks, down 18% from the previous month.
The top 15 searched-for occupations overall in Windsor-Essex for February 2024 on the Job Board were:
| Ranking | Searched Overall in February 2024 | Number of Search Instances (February 2024) | Net Change from January 2024 | % Change from January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Material Handlers | 1,096 | +23 | +2.1% |
| 2 | Retail Salespersons | 1,054 | -283 | -21.2% |
| 3 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 694 | -108 | -13.5% |
| 4 | Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities | 610 | +53 | +9.5% |
| 5 | Administrative Assistants | 604 | -305 | -33.6% |
| 6 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 576 | -281 | -32.8% |
| 7 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 501 | -334 | -40.0% |
| 8 | Receptionists | 457 | -26 | -5.4% |
| 9 | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations | 424 | +88 | +26.2% |
| 10 | Administrative Officers | 416 | -70 | -14.2% |
| 11 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents | 396 | -27 | -6.4% |
| 12 | Light Duty Cleaners | 346 | -102 | -22.8% |
| 13 | Cashiers | 340 | +15 | +4.6% |
| 14 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 305 | +78 | +34.4% |
| 15 | General Office Support Workers | 298 | +111 | +59.4% |
These numbers are specific to the Job Board. To learn more about the occupations listed in these tables, visit the Career Library.
January saw an increase in overall activity on the Job Board, which has since evened out so February’s numbers may appear to have declined more drastically than they actually did. In the month of February, occupations seeing a significant increase in interest as compared to January include General Office Workers (up 59.4%); Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers (up 34.4%); Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations (up 26.2%); Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities (up 9.5); and Cashiers (up 4.6%).
Occupations that saw a significant decrease in interest in February as compared to January include Other Customer and Information Services Representatives (down 40.0%); Administrative Assistants (down 33.6%); Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations (down 32.8%); Light Duty Cleaners (down 22.8%); and Retail Salepersons (down 21.2%).
The top 20 in-demand occupations by local employers for February 2024 were:
| Ranking | In-Demand Occupation for February 2024 | Posting Count (February 2024) | Net Change from January 2024 | % Change from January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Salespersons | 169 | +43 | +34.1% |
| 2 | Transport Truck Drivers | 158 | +22 | +16.2% |
| 3 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 112 | +29 | +34.9% |
| 4 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 106 | +24 | +29.3% |
| 5 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 105 | +14 | +15.4% |
| 6 | Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses | 83 | +3 | +3.8% |
| 7 | Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics | 83 | +31 | +59.6% |
| 8 | Material Handlers | 83 | +25 | +43.1% |
| 9 | Cooks | 81 | +5 | +6.6% |
| 10 | Administrative Assistants | 80 | +3 | +3.9% |
| 11 | Administrative Officers | 76 | +13 | +20.6% |
| 12 | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations | 75 | +9 | +13.6% |
| 13 | Food Service Supervisors | 72 | +2 | +2.9% |
| 14 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents | 72 | +13 | +22.0% |
| 15 | Licensed Practical Nurses | 67 | +6 | +9.8% |
| 16 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 64 | +7 | +12.3% |
| 17 | Mechanical Engineers | 59 | +28 | +90.3% |
| 18 | Medical Administrative Assistants | 57 | -6 | -9.5% |
| 19 | Electrical and Electronics Engineers | 54 | +27 | +100.0% |
| 20 | Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers | 53 | +17 | +47.2% |
Many occupations in the top 20 in-demand occupations list saw an increase in total active job postings in February as compared to the previous month, thanks in part to the overall increase in total active job postings on the Job Board.
Occupations seeing a significant increase in total active job postings in Windsor-Essex in February as compared to January include Electrical and Electronics Engineers (up 100.0%), Mechanical Engineers (up 90.3%), Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics (up 59.6%), Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers (up 47.2%), and Material Handlers (up 43.1%).
We’re seeing an increase in demand locally for various types of engineers. Let’s break down the top three:
Electrical and Electronics Engineers design, plan, research, evaluate, and test electrical and electronic equipment and systems. They are employed by electrical utilities, communications companies, manufacturers of electrical and electronic equipment, consulting firms, and by a wide range of manufacturing, processing and transportation industries, and government. Regional employers currently hiring Electrical and Electronics Engineers include V2Soft Canada, RACAR Canada Inc., MEDA Limited, NextStar Energy, and TEC Group Inc.
Mechanical Engineers research, design, and develop machinery and systems for heating, ventilating and air conditioning, power generation, transportation, processing, and manufacturing. They also perform duties related to the evaluation, installation, operation, and maintenance of mechanical systems. Mechanical Engineers are employed by consulting firms, by power-generating utilities, and in a wide range of manufacturing, processing, and transportation industries, or they may be self-employed. Regional employers currently hiring Mechanical Engineers include RACAR Canada Inc., MEDA Limited, V2Soft Canada, RGBSI, and CenterLine (Windsor) Limited.
Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers conduct studies and develop and supervise programs to achieve the best use of equipment, human resources, technology, materials, and procedures to enhance efficiency and productivity. Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers are employed in consulting firms, manufacturing and processing companies, in government, financial, health care and other institutions, or they may be self-employed. Regional employers currently hiring Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers include NextStar Energy, V2Soft Canada, Technical Career Connection, The Plasman Group, and Brave Control Solutions.
The only decrease in the number of total active job postings in the top 20 in-demand table for February was for Medical Administrative Assistants (down 9.5%).
We do see some overlap in the lists of what job postings jobseekers are interacting with versus what employers are looking for. As an example, both jobseekers and employers saw increases in interest and demand for Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers; Material Handlers; and Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations.
Interest in Job Type and Job Duration:
In terms of what jobseekers are searching for on the Job Board for type and duration, many are looking for part time work (57.1% of those filtering by job type) and permanent work (77.4% filtering by job duration).
Further, looking at the specific keywords jobseekers are searching for on the Job Board, “part time” was the most searched-for keyword with 72 searches. Factoring in other variations and spellings, there was a total of 96 keyword search instances related to part time work.
Comparing this to what employers were hiring for in February, 85.4% of total active job postings were for full time work and 14.5% were for part time work. Of the total active job postings, 89.7% were for permanent work.
Hiring by 2-Digit NAICS:
| Ranking | NAICS Code | 2-Digit NAICS Label | Posting Count (February 2024) | Net Change from January 2024 | % Change from January 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 31-33 | Manufacturing | 734 | +125 | +20.5% | |
| 2. | 62 | Healthcare and Social Assistance | 716 | +51 | +7.7% |
| 3. | 44-46 | Retail Trade | 690 | +95 | +16.0% |
| 4. | 56 | Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services | 621 | +113 | +22.2% |
| 5. | 54 | Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 416 | +59 | +16.5% |
| 6. | 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 352 | +10 | +2.9% |
| 7. | 91 | Public Administration | 309 | -55 | -15.1% |
| 8. | 81 | Other Services (Except Public Administration) | 276 | +18 | +7.0% |
| 9. | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 265 | +6 | +2.3% |
| 10. | 52 | Finance and Insurance | 222 | +40 | +22.0% |
| 11. | 23 | Construction | 204 | +17 | +9.1% |
| 12. | 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 202 | +32 | +18.8% |
| 13. | 61 | Educational Services | 140 | +21 | +17.7% |
| 14. | 41 | Wholesale Trade | 104 | +2 | +2.0% |
| 15. | 51 | Information and Cultural Industries | 90 | +9 | +11.1% |
| 16. | 71 | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 83 | +10 | +13.7% |
| 17. | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 76 | +8 | +11.8% |
| 18. | 22 | Utilities | 29 | +9 | +45.0% |
| 19. | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 8 | +2 | +33.3% |
| 20. | 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 5 | 0 | 0% |
As demonstrated above, hiring was up in most sectors in February from the previous month. Hiring was down in Public Administration and unchanged in Management of Companies and Enterprises, however.
Top Hiring Employers:
Looking at the companies posting jobs in Windsor-Essex, the below table shows the top 10 hiring companies in the region.
| Ranking | Company | Number of Postings (February 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Windsor Regional Hospital | 162 |
| 2. | Loblaw Companies Limited | 78 |
| 3. | The Corporation of the City of Windsor | 54 |
| 4. | Shoppers Drug Mart Inc. | 40 |
| 5. | NextStar Energy | 37 |
| 6. | Starbucks | 35 |
| 7. | St. Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology | 34 |
| 8. | Nature Fresh Farms | 30 |
| 9. | Mastronardi Produce Limited | 30 |
| 10. | SUNSET Produce | 29 |
Reflecting back on the occupations that both jobseekers are looking for and that employers are hiring for, we can look at this list of top hiring companies for the region and find good starting points. For instance, those interested in Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations may find success with Windsor Regional Hospital, while those interested in Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers could look to Loblaws Companies Limited and Shoppers Drug Mart.
THE FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT WERE SOURCED FROM:
MONTHLY JOB DEMAND REPORT
As of April 2019, the monthly Job Demand Report for Windsor-Essex is created by Workforce WindsorEssex using data collected from unique national, provincial and locally-significant job boards. Between May 2017 and March 2019, job posting data was purchased from CEB Talent Neuron.
MONTHLY JOB SEARCH REPORT
The monthly Job Search Report for Windsor-Essex is created by Workforce WindsorEssex using data collected from four job finding tools, including WEexplore, WEmap jobs, WEjobs board, and the Bridge Timeline Tool. Gender and age information of users is voluntarily shared with the organization.
Questions? Please contact: info@workforcewindsoressex.com.
