TORONTO, July 16 /CNW/ - CIBC (CM: TSX; NYSE) - The number of full-time
employees in high paying sectors is rising steadily across the country despite
a sharp drop in the overall number of new jobs, according to CIBC World
Markets.
    Job growth in sectors such as mining, farm product distribution, internet
services and the manufacturing of beverages, tobacco, and electronic and
printing products, is up six percent since last year. That's contributing to
an overall upward trend in job quality and personal incomes despite weakening
conditions elsewhere in the labour market, notes Benjamin Tal Senior Economist
at CIBC World Markets in his latest Employment Quality Index (EQI) report.
    Meanwhile, the number of jobs in low paying sectors such as repair and
maintenance, clothing and clothing accessories has also risen, notes Mr. Tal,
but by less than one per cent during the past year with none of that increase
has occurred over the last six months.
    The index, which assesses employment quality through factors such as the
number of part time and full time jobs, as well as compensation and
self-employment levels across 100 industry groups, finished June at an
18-month high and increased 2.4 per cent since the beginning of the year.
    Mr. Tal points out that rising employment quality has occurred despite
part-time employment rising faster than the number of full-time opportunities,
as well as the labour market's rapid slowdown over the last three months. On
average, the economy is generating just 7,500 new jobs a month compared to
about 40,000 a year ago.
    Yet, Mr. Tal says that "against this bleak background, the average weekly
wage is still rising by a dazzling 4.3 per cent on a year-over-year basis.
That's almost double the inflation rate." The increase, he says, reflects the
bargaining position of those who hold full-time, highly-skilled positions.
    The report also notes that Saskatchewan has surpassed Alberta as leader
in the level of employment quality among Canadian provinces. "This improvement
was fuelled by strong gains in agriculture, energy extraction and mining
exploration and developments, where earnings can run anywhere from 50 per cent
to 125 per cent above the industrial average," says Mr. Tal.
    And after losing some ground in the second half of 2007, "employment
quality in Ontario has improved by 4.7% since the beginning of the year," says
Mr. Tal. "This appears to be inconsistent with the difficulties facing the
manufacturing sector in the province. But a closer look suggests that many of
the jobs lost in the sector over the past year were in low-paying industries
such as wood, clothing and textile. In other words, not all manufacturing
industries are created equal, and the fact that job losses in the sector were
dominated by low-paying industries is, in fact, a positive for our quality
index."
    The index is currently at its highest level since December 2006, and Mr.
Tal expects the level of employment quality in Canada to remain elevated. Wage
pressures will continue as a result, he says, despite a weakening labour
market. He adds that this trend will be another reason for the Bank of Canada
to consider raising rates next year.
    The complete CIBC World Markets report is available at:
http://research.cibcwm.com/economic_public/download/eqi-cda-20080716.pdf

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