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New CCRA report highlights hiring challenges for Canada’s crane industry

According to a recent report commissioned by the Canadian Crane Rental Association (CCRA), a significant number of companies are concerned about meeting their current and future staffing requirements.

The 2023 Canadian Crane Rental Sector Profile Study, prepared by The Portage Group Inc., conducted an online survey of crane rental companies this past June. Companies were both CCRA members and non-members. When respondents were asked about their ability to meet staff requirements over the past year, 9 per cent of respondents indicated that they had no difficulties finding qualified personnel; while 12 per cent faced severe challenges; and 42 per cent indicated that they encountered moderate challenges (that number increased to 49 per cent when looking at companies with five or more staff).

Temporary Foreign Worker impact

Temporary foreign workers (TFWs) have been a relatively small part of companies’ hiring solutions with only 4 per cent of companies surveyed reporting that they hired TFWs in the past year to meet staffing requirements.

Employee projections

Hiring challenges could potentially grow in the future, as 59 per cent of the companies surveyed anticipate an increase in their workforce over the next 12 months (38 per cent predict their employee numbers will remain steady). This number increases to 73 per cent for companies with five or more staff.

An increase in the number of retiring workers could also add additional pressure. Of the companies surveyed, 73 per cent anticipate some retirements in the next 10 years, while 57 per cent anticipate some retirements in the next five years. Only 8 per cent of companies expect a turnover of greater than 25 per cent over the next five years, while 29 per cent of companies foresee between 1 per cent and 10 per cent of their employees leaving the workforce over that time.

Over the next 10 years, 24 per cent of companies surveyed expect retirement of 1 per cent to 5 per cent of their employees, while 19 per cent estimate that more than 25 per cent of their staff will retire.

To purchase a copy of the full industry report, contact CCRA Executive Director Claire Bélanger-Parker at: claire@ccra-aclg.ca.