SAULT STE. MARIE -- The holidays typically mean an increase in hiring among retailers. However, as with most things, the COVID-19 pandemic is putting a damper on seasonal hiring.
However, Sault Ste Marie’s unemployment numbers have been holding steady in recent months, pointing to a jobs picture that is not as bleak as one may think.
“There are some seasonal jobs available right now for equipment operators, snow clearing positions, and some labour jobs,” said Michael Ward of Sault College Employment Solutions.
“Overall, though, employer activity is rebounding quite nicely from earlier in the year. And on any given day now, we have about 90 open positions available on our website.”
Employment Solutions is also helping meet the demand for skilled tradespeople by offering training opportunities.
Sault Ste Marie’s unemployment rate is not as high as the national and provincial numbers. However, officials said a recovery timeline is hard to predict.
“We have had a big impact from COVID on our businesses,” said Jonathan Coulman, executive director of the Algoma Workforce Investment Corporation. “People’s numbers will be down in terms of how well they’re going to do over the entire year. So we could still see economic impacts.”
Coulman said the absence of large COVID-19 outbreaks in the Algoma District has played a part in keeping unemployment numbers steady. He points to the local construction sector as having done particularly well in weathering the COVID-19 storm.
Still, Coulman urges caution as employers and workers head into the New Year.
