Staffing challenges persist for small business

Jun 17, 2022 | 5:00 AM

The help wanted ads are deep with companies looking for employees, especially those in the hospitality industry.

Several local companies are now offering financial hiring and retention incentives, as businesses battle to find and keep workers.

Hours of operation have been curtailed at several local businesses without workers to fill available shifts.

StatsCan, in figures released last Friday, stated that the unemployment rates for B.C. and for Canada as a whole were at new record lows in May.

“The unemployment rate in B.C. has dropped to a three-year low of 4.5 per cent, which is a rate not seen since July 2019. This is a significant improvement from 5.4 per cent in April 2022 and 7.0 per cent from a year ago in May 2021. There are now nearly 100,000 more people working in B.C. than prior to the pandemic,” Ravi Kahlon, B.C.’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation said.

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“Our unemployment rate throughout the province shows our efforts to build a StrongerBC. Led by Victoria at 4.0 per cent, other cities of note are Prince George at 4.4 per cent (not seasonally adjusted), Abbotsford-Mission at 4.4 per cent and Kelowna at 4.5 per cent.”

Kahlon added that the coming months should see part-time employment rise, particularly in the hospitality and in the tourism sectors, and be mostly driven by students re-entering the labour force.

However, he did note that there is still some room for improvement.

“Right now, there are more jobs than people in the province. That’s why we need to redouble our efforts to bring people to B.C. and build on our recovery by investing in the jobs of tomorrow through our StrongerBC Economic Plan,” Kahlon stated.

Family-owned Olive Us which opened in 2013 and a second store in Lake Country in 2015, is leaning heavily on family, as they struggle to hire seasonal help.

“Of course everyone has been having challenges getting staff and we are no different, so we are looking for staff members now for the busy summer season. We will see if the increased gas prices will affect the tourist season as well,” Olive Us co-owner Ray Morin said. “We got my wife, my daughter, myself, my wife’s aunt and two or three other steady staff members. We are going to be okay, but we would like to boost the staff up a little bit for the summer.”

Olive Us Co-owner Ray Morin on the challenges facing small business. (YouTube/Kevin Rothwell)

The BC Chamber of Commerce referenced the labour market issue during its recent Annual General Meeting in Prince George.

“Our network was excited to reconnect in person and to have meaningful discussions about how to address B.C.’s competitiveness, the resiliency of our supply chain, and the critical role that housing, daycare and inter-community transportation plays as we navigate an acute skilled labour shortage,” Fiona Famulak, president and CEO of the BC Chamber of Commerce said.

A shortage of workers was also a hot topic at the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association’s June meeting in Summerland.

“The challenges the tourism industry has faced, and continues to deal with, are immense and will take innovation, collaboration, and partnership to help deal with post-pandemic recovery, supply shortages, and labour challenges,” TOTA Board Chair Michael J. Ballingall said.