Labour Market Insights
Increasing Demand for Languages: Top Occupations and In-Demand Jobs for Windsor-Essex for February 2025
This month, we’re taking a look at some of the most in-demand and most searched-for occupations in the region, as well as diving into which languages employers are looking for. In addition to this, February 2025 saw a significant resurgence in job postings, marking a positive shift after several months of decline– a promising development for both jobseekers and employers. While we did see an increase in job postings, activity from jobseekers on the Job Board did decline in February as compared to January, indicating shifting engagement patterns.
In February, there were 3,258 total active job postings from 1,272 companies for an increase of 27% in total active job postings from the previous month. The number of new job postings increased by 4% from January, with 2,076 new jobs posted in February. The Job Board received 24,489 job post clicks, down 16% from the previous month.
Job postings in Windsor-Essex have been on a steady decline since July 2024, but February 2025 saw a rebound in hiring for the region. This is down 37.3% from 5,196 total active job postings for February 2024, but it is still an improvement over the past few months.
The top 15 searched-for occupations overall in Windsor-Essex for February 2025 on the Job Board were:
| Ranking | Searched Overall in February 2025 | Number of Search Instances (February 2025) | Net Change from January 2025 | % Change from January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Salespersons and Visual Merchandisers | 1,038 | -339 | -24.6% |
| 2 | Material Handlers | 984 | -125 | -11.3% |
| 3 | Administrative Assistants | 944 | -59 | -6.7% |
| 4 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 746 | -384 | -34.0% |
| 5 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 499 | -381 | -43.3% |
| 6 | Receptionists | 488 | -130 | -21.0% |
| 7 | Administrative Officers | 486 | -146 | -23.1% |
| 8 | Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities | 484 | +4 | +1.7% |
| 9 | Light Duty Cleaners | 479 | +85 | +21.6% |
| 10 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 476 | -711 | -59.9% |
| 11 | Janitors, Caretakers and Heavy-Duty Cleaners | 476 | +75 | +18.7% |
| 12 | Home Support Workers, Caregivers and Related Occupations | 442 | +45 | +11.3% |
| 13 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 336 | +7 | +2.1% |
| 14 | Customer Service Representatives - Financial Institutions | 333 | +120 | +56.3% |
| 15 | Delivery Service Drivers and Door-to-Door Distributors | 324 | -177 | -35.3% |
These numbers are specific to the Job Board. To learn more about the occupations listed in these tables, visit the Career Library.
Occupations that saw a significant increase in interactions on the Job Board in February as compared to January include Customer Service Representatives – Financial Institutions (up 56.3%); Light Duty Cleaners (up 21.6%); Janitors, Caretakers and Heavy-Duty Cleaners (up 18.7%); Home Support Workers, Caregivers and Related Occupations (up 11.3%); and Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers (up 2.1%).
Occupations that saw a significant decrease in interactions on the Job Board in February as compared to January include Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (down 59.9%); Other Customer and Information Services Representatives (down 43.3%); Delivery Service Drivers and Door-to-Door Distributors (down 35.3%); Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations (down 34.0%); and Retail Salespersons and Visual Merchandisers (down 24.6%).
The top 20 in-demand occupations by local employers for February 2025 were:
| Ranking | In-Demand Occupation for February 2025 | Posting Count (February 2025) | Net Change from January 2025 | % Change from January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transport Truck Drivers | 136 | +37 | +37.4% |
| 2 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 94 | 0 | 0% |
| 3 | Retail Salespersons and Visual Merchandisers | 92 | +9 | +10.8% |
| 4 | Home Support Workers, Caregivers and Related Occupations | 79 | +31 | +64.6% |
| 5 | Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses | 73 | +21 | +40.4% |
| 6 | Cooks | 71 | +15 | +26.8% |
| 7 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 60 | +12 | +25.0% |
| 8 | Administrative Assistants | 58 | +24 | +70.6% |
| 9 | Material Handlers | 49 | +10 | +25.6% |
| 10 | Food Service Supervisors | 45 | -2 | -4.3% |
| 11 | Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness | 41 | +11 | +36.7% |
| 12 | Electrical and Electronics Engineers | 40 | +19 | +90.5% |
| 13 | Restaurant and Food Service Managers | 40 | +13 | +48.2% |
| 14 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 39 | +8 | +25.8% |
| 15 | Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors | 38 | +15 | +65.2% |
| 16 | Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics | 38 | +20 | +111.1% |
| 17 | Administrative Officers | 36 | 0 | 0% |
| 18 | Early Childhood Educators and Assistants | 33 | +8 | +32.0% |
| 19 | Light Duty Cleaners | 32 | +10 | +45.5% |
| 20 | Delivery Service Drivers and Door-to-Door Distributors | 32 | +7 | +28.0% |
Occupations that saw an increase in total active job postings in February as compared to January include Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics (up 111.1%); Electrical and Electronics Engineers (up 90.5%); Administrative Assistants (up 70.6%); Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors (up 65.2%); and Home Support Workers, Caregivers and Related Occupations (up 64.6%).
Occupations that saw a decrease in total active job postings in February as compared to January include Food Service Supervisors (down 4.3%). The number of total active job postings for Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations and Administrative Officers remained unchanged.
Interestingly, Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness are still very much in demand in the region, which we saw going into the new year. This occupation sees an increase around the new year, as people start their new years resolutions and recreational facilities see an increase in patrons.
We also saw a couple occupations that don’t typically appear month-over-month in our in-demand lists, namely Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors and Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics.
Machinists set up and operate a variety of machine tools to cut or grind metal, plastic, or other materials to make or modify parts or products with precise dimensions. Machining and Tooling Inspectors inspect machined parts and tooling in order to maintain quality control standards. They are employed by machinery, equipment, motor vehicle, automotive parts, aircraft, and other metal products manufacturing companies and by machine shops. Apprentices are also included in this unit group. Regional employers for Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors include ABC Technologies, Calibur Tool & Mold Inc., Omega Tool Corp, Centerline (Windsor) Limited, and Mega Mold International.
Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics install, maintain, troubleshoot, overhaul, and repair stationary industrial machinery and mechanical equipment. This unit group includes industrial textile machinery mechanics and repairers. Construction millwrights are employed by millwrighting contractors. Industrial mechanics are employed in manufacturing plants, utilities, and other industrial establishments. Apprentices are also included in this unit group. Regional employers for Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics include NextStar Energy, Flex N Gate Windsor, TRQSS Inc., The Electromac Group, and Textron Inc.
Hiring by 2-Digit NAICS:
| Ranking | NAICS Code | 2-Digit NAICS Label | Posting Count (February 2025) | Net Change from January 2025 | % Change from January 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 62 | Healthcare and Social Assistance | 571 | +155 | +37.3% |
| 2. | 56 | Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services | 489 | +138 | +39.3% |
| 3. | 31-33 | Manufacturing | 475 | +119 | +33.4% |
| 4. | 44-46 | Retail Trade | 371 | +48 | +14.9% |
| 5. | 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 305 | +58 | +23.5% |
| 6. | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 263 | +28 | +11.9% |
| 7. | 54 | Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 250 | +75 | +42.9% |
| 8. | 81 | Other Services (Except Public Administration) | 224 | +57 | +34.1% |
| 9. | 91 | Public Administration | 162 | -14 | -8.0% |
| 10. | 23 | Construction | 127 | +34 | +36.6% |
| 11. | 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 124 | -9 | -6.8% |
| 12. | 52 | Finance and Insurance | 115 | +19 | +19.8% |
| 13. | 41 | Wholesale Trade | 84 | +16 | +23.5% |
| 14. | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 84 | +44 | +110.0% |
| 15. | 61 | Educational Services | 70 | +1 | +1.5% |
| 16. | 71 | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 68 | +23 | +51.1% |
| 17. | 51 | Information and Cultural Industries | 22 | +7 | +46.7% |
| 18. | 22 | Utilities | 20 | +7 | +53.9% |
| 19. | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 2 | -2 | -50.0% |
Job postings were up in almost all sectors in February as compared to January, with Real Estate and Rental and Leasing seeing the most significant jump. The Healthcare and Social Assistance sector was the top hiring sector for the region in February, even seeing a 37.3% increase in job postings for the month. This would help explain the increase in job postings for Home Support Workers, Caregivers and Related Occupations (up 64.6%) and Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (up 40.4%).
Demand by Language
With an increase in job postings for February, we also saw an increase in active job postings looking for language skills other than English. In fact, there were 145 total active job posts, 104 of them new for the month of February, looking for language skills– a 58% increase over the previous month.
| Ranking | Language | Active Job Posts |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | French Language Jobs | 69 |
| 2. | Bilingual Jobs | 33 |
| 3. | Spanish Language Jobs | 6 |
| 4. | Korean Language Jobs | 3 |
| 5. | Mandarin Language Jobs | 3 |
| 6. | Arabic Language Jobs | 2 |
| 7. | American Sign Language (ASL) Jobs | 1 |
| 8. | Italian Language Jobs | 1 |
| 9. | Japanese Language Jobs | 1 |
In terms of which languages employers are looking for, French is the most common, with 69 total active job postings for February. This is a great reminder to include your language skills on your resume and specify if you are fluent or conversational.
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 2025) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Windsor Regional Hospital | 59 |
| 2. | Extendicare | 40 |
| 3. | Corporation of the City of Windsor | 36 |
| 4. | Municipality of Leamington | 29 |
| 5. | NextStar Energy | 27 |
| 6. | Starbucks | 26 |
| 7. | Mastronardi Produce Limited | 24 |
| 8. | Shoppers Drug Mart | 24 |
| 9. | Tim Hortons | 17 |
| 10. | Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor Essex County | 16 |
From the above list, we can see where the increase in job postings in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector (Windsor Regional Hospital, Extendicare, and Canadian Mental Health Association Windsor Essex County) as well as the Accommodation and Food Services sector (Starbucks and Tim Hortons) in part came from. We also see NextStar Energy high on this list again, and we know from the above data that they have been hiring Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics.
THE FINDINGS OF THIS REPORT WERE SOURCED FROM:
MONTHLY JOB DEMAND REPORT
Since 2019, the monthly Job Demand Report for Windsor-Essex has been created by Workforce WindsorEssex using data collected from unique national, provincial, and locally-significant job boards.
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.
