Labour Market Insights
Early Childhood Educators and Work from Home Jobs: Top Occupations and In-Demand Jobs for Windsor-Essex for January 2024
This month, we’re looking at occupations that we haven’t typically seen on the in-demand occupations list, as well as delving into what jobseekers in Windsor-Essex have been searching for. With the holiday season behind us, jobseekers are clearly eager to resume their job hunt and employers are ready to hire.
In January 2024, there were 4,217 total active job postings from 1,469 companies for a decrease of 11% from the previous month. Although the total active job postings are down, the number of new job posts increased substantially, up 59% in January 2024 over December 2023, with 2,947 new jobs posted in the month of January. The Job Board received 28,960 job post clicks, up 66% from the previous month. The increase in new activity and new posts also indicates that job demand and search has picked back up after the reduction of activity during the holiday season.
The top 15 searched-for occupations overall in Windsor-Essex for January 2024 on the Job Board were:
| Ranking | Searched Overall in January 2024 | Number of Search Instances (January 2024) | Net Change from December 2023 | % Change from December 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Salespersons | 1,337 | +552 | +70.3% |
| 2 | Material Handlers | 1,073 | +542 | +102.1% |
| 3 | Administrative Assistants | 909 | +518 | +132.5% |
| 4 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 857 | +390 | +83.5% |
| 5 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 835 | +102 | +71.5% |
| 6 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 802 | +547 | +214.5% |
| 7 | Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities | 557 | +8 | +1.5% |
| 8 | Administrative Officers | 485 | +232 | +91.7% |
| 9 | Receptionists | 483 | +310 | +179.2% |
| 10 | Light Duty Cleaners | 448 | +242 | +117.5% |
| 11 | Construction Trades Helpers and Labourers | 444 | +194 | +77.6% |
| 12 | Transport Truck Drivers | 424 | +316 | +292.6% |
| 13 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents | 423 | +225 | +113.6% |
| 14 | Delivery and Courier Service Drivers | 381 | +181 | +90.5% |
| 15 | Social and Community Service Workers | 373 | +138 | +58.7% |
These numbers are specific to the Job Board. To learn more about the occupations listed in these tables, visit the Career Library.
As noted above, the Job Board did receive a significant increase in activity from jobseekers in January 2024 as compared to the previous month, which would help to explain the large increases in interest in many of the top searched-for occupations. Some of the biggest increases in interest from jobseekers in January 2024 as compared to December 2023 are for job postings for Transport Truck Drivers (up 292.6%); Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (up 214.5%); Receptionists (up 179.2%); Administrative Assistants (up 132.5%); Light Duty Cleaners (up 117.5%); Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents (up 113.6%); and Material Handlers (up 102.1%).
In terms of what occupations are being searched for compared to the jobs being posted in Windsor-Essex (as shown in the table below), there is some overlap. Occupations that saw a significant increase in both interest and demand this month were Transport Truck Drivers; Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers; and Administrative Assistants.
The top 20 in-demand occupations by local employers for January 2024 were:
| Ranking | In-Demand Occupation for January 2024 | Posting Count (January 2024) | Net Change from December 2023 | % Change from December 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transport Truck Drivers | 124 | +32 | +34.8% |
| 2 | Retail Salespersons | 123 | -29 | -19.1% |
| 3 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 90 | -15 | -14.3% |
| 4 | Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses | 80 | -68 | -46.0% |
| 5 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 80 | +29 | +56.9% |
| 6 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 78 | +14 | +21.9% |
| 7 | Cooks | 75 | -10 | -11.8% |
| 8 | Administrative Assistants | 73 | +13 | +21.7% |
| 9 | Food Service Supervisors | 67 | +10 | +17.5% |
| 10 | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations | 64 | -41 | -39.1% |
| 11 | Medical Administrative Assistants | 62 | -3 | -4.6% |
| 12 | Administrative Officers | 61 | +4 | +7.0% |
| 13 | Licensed Practical Nurses | 60 | +22 | +57.9% |
| 14 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents | 59 | -4 | -6.4% |
| 15 | Material Handlers | 57 | -17 | -23.0% |
| 16 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 55 | -17 | -23.6% |
| 17 | Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics | 52 | -8 | -13.3% |
| 18 | Machinists and Machining and Tooling Inspectors | 49 | -8 | -14.0% |
| 19 | Early Childhood Educators and Assistants | 46 | +17 | +58.6% |
| 20 | Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness | 46 | +2 | +4.6% |
Occupations seeing a significant increase in total active job postings in Windsor-Essex in January 2024 as compared to December 2023 include Early Childhood Educators and Assistants (up 58.6%); Licensed Practical Nurses (up 57.9%); Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (up 56.9%); Transport Truck Drivers (up 34.8%); and Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers (up 21.9%).
Early Childhood Educators and Assistants is new to the list of top in-demand occupations this month. Early Childhood Educators plan, organize, and implement programs for children between the ages of infancy and 12 years. Early Childhood Educator Assistants provide care for infants and preschool- to school-age children under the guidance of Early Childhood Educators. Early Childhood Educators and Assistants lead children in activities to stimulate and develop their intellectual, physical, and emotional growth and ensure their security and well-being. They are employed in childcare centres, daycare centres, kindergartens, agencies for exceptional children, and other settings where early childhood education services are provided. Supervisors of Early Childhood Educators and Assistants are included in this unit group. Regional employers for Early Childhood Educators and Assistants include BrightPath Early Learning and Child Care, YMCA of Southwestern Ontario – Central Park, Alexander’s Day Care Center Inc. – Windsor, Audrey’s Daycare Clubhouse & Early Learning Centre, and John McGivney Children’s Centre.
The City of Windsor has undertaken concerted efforts to recruit for Early Childhood Educators in the region through the WERECE (Windsor Essex Registered Early Childhood Educators) program.
Also new to the list of in-demand occupations this month is Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness, who lead and instruct groups and individuals in recreational, sports, fitness, or athletic programs. They are employed by community centres, sports and fitness clubs, outdoor centres, resorts, recreational facilities, healthcare facilities, retirement homes, correctional institutions, government departments, private businesses, tourism associations, and similar establishments. Regional employers for Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness include GoodLife Fitness Centres Inc., Municipality of Leamington, Movati Athletic, Corporation of the City of Windsor, and Victorian Order of Nurses / VON Canada.
This increase in demand Program Leaders and Instructors in Recreation, Sport and Fitness could be due to fitness and recreational facilities needing additional staff to accommodate a busier post-holiday workout season.
We also saw various occupations with a significant decrease in total active job postings, although all of the listed occupations are still very much in demand for the region. Occupations seeing a significant decrease in total active job postings in Windsor-Essex in January 2024 as compared to December 2023 include Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses (down 46%); Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations (down 39.1%); Other Customer and Information Services Representatives (down 23.6%); Material Handlers (down 23.0%); and Retail Salespersons (down 19.1%).
While job postings for Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses were down 46% and postings for Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations were down 39.1% in January as compared to the previous month, job postings for Licensed Practical Nurses was up 57.9%.
Licensed Practical Nurses provide nursing care usually under the direction of medical practitioners, registered nurses, or other health team members. Licensed Practical Nurses are employed in hospitals, nursing homes, extended care facilities, rehabilitation centres, doctors’ offices, clinics, companies, private homes, and community health centres. Regional employers of Licensed Practical Nurses include Victorian Order of Nurses / VON Canada, Bayshore HealthCare, Seasons Retirement Communities LP, Chartwell Retirement Residences Kingsville, and ParaMed Home Health Care.
Special Interest Searches and Keywords:
Looking at what jobseekers are filtering the Job Board for in Special Interest Searches, searches for Student Jobs (54) and Work from Home Jobs (50) were at the top of the list.
Additionally, jobseekers searched specific keywords related to Student and Work from Home Jobs. There were 28 keyword searches related to Student jobs (23 searches for student, three searches for summer student, one search for student writing, and one search for students) and 24 searches related to Work from Home jobs (17 searches for work from home, and one search each for work at home, work from home customer representative, remote billing, remote customer services, remove part time, remote sales, and stay home jobs).
Workforce WindsorEssex has a stand-alone Work from Home Jobs Board, separate from the data presented above, where jobseekers can browse full or partial Work from Home jobs across Ontario.
Hiring by 2-Digit NAICS:
| Ranking | NAICS Code | 2-Digit NAICS Label | Posting Count (January 2024) | Net Change from December 2023 | % Change from December 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 62 | Healthcare and Social Assistance | 684 | -133 | -16.3% |
| 2. | 31-33 | Manufacturing | 608 | -121 | -16.6% |
| 3. | 56 | Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services | 599 | -101 | -14.4% |
| 4. | 44-45 | Retail Trade | 590 | -58 | -9.0% |
| 5. | 54 | Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 355 | -23 | -6.1% |
| 6. | 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 331 | +34 | +11.5% |
| 7. | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 255 | -21 | -7.6% |
| 8. | 81 | Other Services (Except Public Administration) | 238 | -27 | -10.2% |
| 9. | 91 | Public Administration | 217 | +17 | +8.5% |
| 10. | 23 | Construction | 186 | -54 | -22.5% |
| 11. | 52 | Finance and Insurance | 182 | -35 | -16.1% |
| 12. | 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 169 | -77 | -31.3% |
| 13. | 61 | Educational Services | 119 | -8 | -6.3% |
| 14. | 41 | Wholesale Trade | 98 | -6 | -5.8% |
| 15. | 51 | Information and Cultural Industries | 81 | +15 | +22.7% |
| 16. | 71 | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 73 | +3 | +4.3% |
| 17. | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 68 | -7 | -9.3% |
| 18. | 22 | Utilities | 20 | -5 | -20.0% |
| 19. | 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 5 | -1 | -16.7% |
| 20. | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 15 | +1 | +7.1% |
Here we can see that, while many sectors did see a decrease in total active job postings in January 2024 as compared to December 2023, many of the sectors are still in-demand. For example, total active job postings in the Healthcare and Social Assistance sector is down 16.3%, but we saw the increase in demand for Licensed Practical Nurses earlier.
Sectors that did see an increase in total active job postings in January 2024 as compared to December 2023 include Information and Cultural Industries (up 22.7%), Transportation and Warehousing (up 11.5%), and Public Administration (up 8.5%).
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 (January 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Windsor Regional Hospital | 166 |
| 2. | Loblaw Companies Limited | 65 |
| 3. | The Corporation of the City of Windsor | 64 |
| 4. | Municipality of Lakeshore | 44 |
| 5. | Starbucks | 35 |
| 6. | NextStar Energy | 31 |
| 7. | Mastronardi Produce Limited | 27 |
| 8. | The Plasman Group | 27 |
| 9. | Shoppers Drug Mart | 22 |
| 10. | St. Clair College of Applied Arts & Technology | 22 |
In the Top Hiring Employers table, we can see even more specifically where some of the demand for certain occupations is coming from. For instance, Licensed Practical Nurses may be hired by Windsor Regional Hospital and Early Childhood Educators and Assistants may be hired by The Corporation of the City of Windsor.
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.
