Despite Canadian job numbers increasing, some P.E.I. businesses are struggling to hire employees

Some P.E.I. businesses are having a tough time hiring, Maria Sarrouh reports.

P.E.I.’s unemployment rate rose 1.6 percentage points in September - the biggest increase in Canada - as some restaurants struggle to hire and recent graduates search for work.

Canada added 60,000 jobs last month, up 0.3 per cent after two straight monthly declines, according to Statistics Canada’s September Labour Force Survey. The national unemployment rate held at 7.1 per cent as the pool of people looking for work increased.

But in downtown Charlottetown, Tekila Mexican Restaurant is still struggling to fill openings.

“What we’re finding is people are applying for some of the jobs, but none of them have the experience,” said co-owner Kevin Gallant.

He’s hiring line cooks, wait staff and both a restaurant and a kitchen manager. Tekila pays minimum wage plus gratuities for wait staff, $17.50 to $20 per hour for line cooks, and up to $24 per hour for kitchen and restaurant managers.

In the two weeks, the restaurant received 12 applications, mostly for server positions. Gallant says many applicants are immigrants who are studying or have backgrounds in other fields, such as computer science or marketing.

“There’s no focus anymore on culinary arts or hospitality as much in the province. Less and less people are applying for jobs at restaurants,” he said.

For him, the ideal candidate is someone who wants to learn the restaurant business and excel in it, with a hands-on attitude and strong customer service. Finding employees who fit the bill is a challenge both for him and for other businesses, he says.

“The struggle is they can’t find the people who want to work in this industry anymore. It’s very hard for restaurant owners,” said Gallant.

Those on-the-ground hiring hurdles can reflect a disconnect between qualifications and entry-level roles, says Fred Bergman, a senior policy analyst with the Atlantic Economic Council.

“Maybe that’s a deterrent for an employer to hire them, because they feel, ‘Well, geez, if I paid the minimum wage plus tips, is that enough to keep them happy?’” he said.

Bergman said the Island’s increase in unemployment was surprising, particularly in industries seeing declines in jobs, adding much of the shift appears to be in full-time opportunities.

Manufacturing jobs have decreased, he says, despite strong growth in exports based on year-to-date data. Construction is another outlier, with the real value of building construction on P.E.I. “way up,” along with housing starts. There was also a decline in education heading into the school season in September.

“That’s when public institutions that teach people open back up, so that’s a bit of a surprise as well,” he said.

Despite the monthly decline, Bergman noted P.E.I.’s year-to-date employment growth is up 1.2 per cent, and that long-term trends are more reliable for a province like P.E.I. because the Labour Force Survey uses a small sample size.

Sitting at a bench on UPEI’s campus, Vanessa DiFalco, 26, explains she’s been job hunting for a few months. She has a degree in arts and sciences, with a focus on biology and sociology, and like many of her friends, wants that investment to pay off in a relevant role.

“The consensus is that no matter where you are, it’s a bit stressful to look for a job,” she said. “They’re still applying for jobs that are outside of what they want, but they’re not even hearing back from those jobs.”

While it can be discouraging and hard not to take personally at times, there are silver linings. DiFalco works as a Rover pet sitter and dog walker, which gives her flexibility. But she say’s it’s different from working in a vet clinic, animal shelter or wildlife rehab – paths that align more with her long-term goals and offer more consistent income.

Difalco has been offered jobs that didn’t pan out, but has also received advice from professors and the community and says she is feeling optimistic.

“Everyone is very willing to give you their time and their knowledge and their efforts if they have the resources available. And that’s what makes me excited, to hopefully be able to do that myself, when I’m in the workforce and be able to contribute to the community that P.E.I. is.”