CME warns Ontario manufacturers struggling to fill thousands of job vacancies

Industry group Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters is warning on the rising number of job vacancies in Ontario’s manufacturing sector as positions go unfilled, thousands of new positions are set to be created and a wave of retirements takes hold.

CME says Ontario has more than 18,900 vacancies and about 7,000 confirmed new manufacturing jobs opening up.

The association says the industry could see as many as 18,500 retirements from baby boomers in the province every year between now and 2034.

It adds the labour shortage will be more pronounced in the auto and electric vehicle sector as EV production ramps up.

Dennis Darby, president and chief executive of CME, says manufacturing is more important than ever to Ontario’s future.

CME is calling on the provincial government to invest more in the training and upskilling of workers, bolster its tax credit for employer-led training and better align its programs to match
employers with workers.