Which Firms Have High Job Vacancy Rates in Canada?

Since the Job Vacancy Survey conducted by Statistics Canada between 1971 and 1978, there is no data which directly measures job vacancies in Canada. Using data from the 1999 Workplace and Employee Survey (WES), we attempt to fill this gap. We study the determinants of job vacancies at the location level. We find that workplaces with high vacancy rates consist of at least two types: 1) those employing a highly skilled workforce, innovating, adopting new technologies increasing skill requirements, facing significant international competition and operating in tight local labour markets, and 2) those which are non-unionized, operate in retail trade and consumer services industries and are not part of a multi-location firm. As a result, a substantial share of job vacancies are not in the high-technology sectors. More than 40% of all job vacancies and 50% of long-term vacancies originate from retail trade and consumer services industries.