Labour Market Insights
Accommodation and Food Services and Comparing Search and Demand: Top Occupations and In-Demand Jobs for Windsor-Essex for March 2024
While March 2024 saw a small decrease in the total active job postings in Windsor-Essex, we did see a larger increase in those using the Job Board to search for a job.
In March 2024, there were 5,041 total active job postings from 1,781 companies for a decrease of 3% in total active job postings from the previous month. The number of new job postings also decreased, by 5%, with 2,817 new jobs posted in the month of March. The Job Board received 25,915 job post clicks, up 10% from the previous month.
The top 15 searched-for occupations overall in Windsor-Essex for March 2024 on the Job Board were:
| Ranking | Searched Overall in March 2024 | Number of Search Instances (March 2024) | Net Change from February 2024 | % Change from February 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Salespersons | 1,289 | +235 | +22.3% |
| 2 | Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities | 920 | +310 | +50.8% |
| 3 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 903 | +327 | +56.8% |
| 4 | Material Handlers | 901 | -195 | -17.8% |
| 5 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 699 | +198 | +39.5% |
| 6 | Administrative Assistants | 491 | -113 | -18.7% |
| 7 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 476 | -218 | -31.4% |
| 8 | Administrative Officers | 473 | +57 | +13.7% |
| 9 | Receptionists | 457 | 0 | 0% |
| 10 | Construction Trades Helpers and Labourers | 441 | +187 | +73.6% |
| 11 | Light Duty Cleaners | 422 | +76 | +22.0% |
| 12 | Food and Beverage Servers | 383 | +158 | +70.2% |
| 13 | Transport Truck Drivers | 361 | +105 | +41.0% |
| 14 | Cashiers | 354 | +14 | +4.1% |
| 15 | Social and Community Service Workers | 352 | +99 | +39.1% |
These numbers are specific to the Job Board. To learn more about the occupations listed in these tables, visit the Career Library.
March saw increases in interactions in several occupations on the Job Board as compared to the previous month, including Construction Trades Helpers and Labourers (up 73.2%); Food and Beverage Servers (up 70.2%); Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Occupations (up 56.8%); Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities (up 50.8%); and Transport Truck Drivers (up 41.0%).
Occupations that saw a significant decrease in interest in March over February include Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (down 31.4%); Administrative Assistants (down 18.7%); and Material Handlers (down 17.8%).
The top 20 in-demand occupations by local employers for March 2024 were:
| Ranking | In-Demand Occupation for March 2024 | Posting Count (March 2024) | Net Change from February 2024 | % Change from February 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Retail Salespersons | 175 | +6 | +3.6% |
| 2 | Transport Truck Drivers | 153 | -5 | -3.2% |
| 3 | Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations | 99 | -6 | -5.7% |
| 4 | Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers | 91 | -21 | -18.8% |
| 5 | Material Handlers | 91 | +8 | +9.6% |
| 6 | Cooks | 85 | +4 | +4.9% |
| 7 | Registered Nurses and Registered Psychiatric Nurses | 81 | -2 | -2.4% |
| 8 | Construction Millwrights and Industrial Mechanics | 81 | -2 | -2.4% |
| 9 | Administrative Officers | 79 | +3 | +4.0% |
| 10 | Food and Beverage Servers | 78 | +33 | +73.3% |
| 11 | Electrical and Electronics Engineers | 73 | +19 | +35.2% |
| 12 | Home Support Workers, Housekeepers and Related Occupations | 72 | -3 | -4.0% |
| 13 | Mechanical Engineers | 69 | +10 | +17.0% |
| 14 | Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers | 69 | -37 | -34.9% |
| 15 | Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers | 68 | +15 | +28.3% |
| 16 | Other Customer and Information Services Representatives | 63 | -1 | -1.6% |
| 17 | Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents | 62 | -10 | -13.9% |
| 18 | Administrative Assistants | 61 | -19 | -23.8% |
| 19 | Food Service Supervisors | 57 | -15 | -20.8% |
| 20 | Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities | 56 | +16 | +40.0% |
Occupations seeing a significant increase in total active job postings in March as compared to February include Food and Beverage Servers (up 73.3%); Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities (up 40.0%); Electrical and Electronics Engineers (up 35.2%); Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers (up 28.3%); and Mechanical Engineers (up 17.0%).
In last month’s post, we highlighted the three engineering occupations (Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers, and Mechanical Engineers) as there was a significant increase in these three occupations in February as compared to January. Typically, these three occupations do not appear on the top 20 in-demand occupations for Windsor-Essex. It is interesting to note the continued increase in demand for the region, as these would be great occupations to look into if engineering is something you are thinking about pursuing as a career.
Occupations that saw a significant decrease in total active job postings in March as compared to February include Store Shelf Stockers, Clerks and Order Fillers (down 34.9%); Administrative Assistants (down 23.8%); Food Service Supervisors (down 20.8%); Retail and Wholesale Trade Managers (down 18.8%); and Janitors, Caretakers and Building Superintendents (down 13.9%).
In terms of overlap in which occupations people are interacting with on the Job Board versus the occupations that are in-demand in the region, Retail Salespersons is at the top of both lists. We also saw an increase in searches and in demand for Administrative Officers; Food and Beverage Servers; and Other Labourers in Processing, Manufacturing and Utilities.
Let’s look at the occupation that saw the most significant increase in demand in March as compared to February, which was Food and Beverage Servers. Food and Beverage Servers take patrons’ food and beverage orders and serve orders to patrons. They are employed in restaurants, hotels, bars, taverns, private clubs, banquet halls, and similar establishments. Regional employers of Food and Beverage Servers include Big Time Eats & Entertainment, Seasons Retirement Communities LP, Lucky Chopsticks Chinese Buffet, Ajisen Ramen Windsor, and Subway.
Hiring by 2-Digit NAICS:
| Ranking | NAICS Code | 2-Digit NAICS Label | Posting Count (March 2024) | Net Change from February 2024 | % Change from February 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 56 | Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services | 744 | +123 | +19.8% |
| 2. | 62 | Healthcare and Social Assistance | 742 | +26 | +3.6% |
| 3. | 31-33 | Manufacturing | 740 | +6 | +0.8% |
| 4. | 44-46 | Retail Trade | 679 | -11 | -1.6% |
| 5. | 54 | Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 482 | +66 | +15.9% |
| 6. | 48-49 | Transportation and Warehousing | 354 | +2 | +0.6% |
| 7. | 72 | Accommodation and Food Services | 351 | +86 | +32.5% |
| 8. | 81 | Other Services (Except Public Administration) | 314 | +38 | +13.8% |
| 9. | 91 | Public Administration | 296 | -13 | -4.2% |
| 10. | 52 | Finance and Insurance | 241 | +19 | +8.6% |
| 11. | 23 | Construction | 198 | -6 | -2.9% |
| 12. | 11 | Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 187 | -15 | -7.4% |
| 13. | 61 | Educational Services | 144 | +4 | +2.9% |
| 14. | 41 | Wholesale Trade | 116 | +12 | +11.5% |
| 15. | 51 | Information and Cultural Industries | 106 | +16 | +17.8% |
| 16. | 71 | Arts, Entertainment and Recreation | 74 | -9 | -10.8% |
| 17. | 53 | Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 73 | -3 | -4.0% |
| 18. | 22 | Utilities | 18 | -11 | -37.9% |
| 19. | 21 | Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 13 | +5 | +62.5% |
| 20. | 55 | Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2 | -3 | -60.0% |
Looking at hiring by 2-digit NAICS, we can see significant increases in various sectors, one of which is Accommodation and Food Services, up 32.5% in March as compared to February. This is consistent with the increases in total active job postings for Food and Beverage Servers and Cooks. And while Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers and Related Support Occupations and Food Service Supervisors were both down in March over February, they are both still very much in demand.
This increase in demand for the Accommodation and Food Services sector aligns with the warmer weather and the upcoming patio season. The City of Windsor allows three types of sidewalk cafes for restaurants to offer: 3-Season Cafes run March 1-November 30, Parklet Cafes run April 1 to November 15, and Curbside Cafes run April 1 to November 15.
Skills and Job Requirements:
Let’s look at what skills were found in job postings for March. Reviewing these lists can help jobseekers identify areas for improvement, or if they already possess these skills, jobseekers can add them to their resume and cover letter.
As an example, if you were looking at applying to a Food and Beverage Server job posting, skills you may want to add to your resume may include communication, customer service, and interpersonal skills.
Additionally, we can also look at items listed as key job requirements:
You may find that adding food safety and first aid (if you do indeed possess these key requirements) to your resume may help, in the example of applying for a Food and Beverage Server position.
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 (March 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Windsor Regional Hospital | 176 |
| 2. | Loblaw Companies Limited | 63 |
| 3. | The Corporation of the City of Windsor | 48 |
| 4. | NextStar Energy | 47 |
| 5. | RACAR Canada Inc. | 47 |
| 6. | Subway Restaurants | 39 |
| 7. | Erie Shores Healthcare | 29 |
| 8. | Mastronardi Produce Limited | 29 |
| 9. | Nature Fresh Farms Inc. | 29 |
| 10. | RONA Inc. | 28 |
The top hiring companies in Windsor-Essex align with many of the in-demand occupations. For instance, Loblaws often appears near the top of this list and they hire Retail Salespersons, as does RONA Inc. As we saw in last month’s analysis, RACAR Canada Inc. and NextStar Energy hire Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineers, and Mechanical Engineers. New on the list for March is Subway Restaurants, which would contribute to the increase in demand in the Accommodation and Food Services sector.
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.
