(OTTAWA) Job vacancies fell 3.8% in Canada in the first quarter, or 33,500, to 843,200.

Statistics Canada therefore noted a third quarterly decline in a row from the record level reached in the second quarter of 2022, which was 984,600 job vacancies.

The federal agency observed that in the first quarter of the current year, the number of vacancies fell in five of the ten major occupational categories. The largest decline, of 10,900, was in trades, transportation, equipment operators and related fields. There was a decline of 8,900 in business, finance and administration and 5,800 in manufacturing and utilities.

The number of job vacancies in the first quarter was little changed in the remaining five major occupational categories, including sales and service, where there were 280,600 job vacancies representing 33.3% of the total number of job vacancies in Canada . Changes were also small in health, education, law, and social, community and government services.

However, compared to a year earlier, the number of job vacancies fell in seven of the ten major occupational categories in the first quarter of 2023. The sales and service category was responsible for 46.7% of the increase. total drop in the number of vacancies.

Finally, Statistics Canada counted a decrease in the number of job vacancies in three provinces in the first quarter, namely Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. Their numbers increased in Manitoba and were little changed in the other provinces and territories.