Indeed Job Seeker Data Reveals Promising Signs For Marketers In Toronto And Vancouver

It’s been a difficult year for the Canadian job market. Millions of people lost their jobs entirely, while many others endured temporary layoffs or a reduction in hours. Restaurants, travel and entertainment have been among the hardest hit industries, but marketing - often subject to the whims of the economy’s normal boom-bust cycle - has also witnessed its share of disruption.

As someone who has spent many years as a marketer in Canada, I’ve witnessed firsthand how many in the industry struggled through 2020. There are some positive signs, however. As of February 12, the total number of Marketing related job postings on Indeed has grown 23% since November 1. To help better understand where job seekers in Toronto and Vancouver are focusing their attention, Indeed calculated the share of clicks (per 1 million) to job postings on a daily basis from February 2020 through Jan 2021, and analyzed the change (in percentage) in these shares. The goal is to help identify how job seeker interest has shifted since the start of the pandemic.

Not surprisingly, the “e-commerce specialist” title saw significant growth in job seeker interest during this period with an incredible 255% jump in share of clicks in the Toronto area.

Marketing titles were also represented among the top 15 most sought after roles in both markets, possibly pointing to improved employment prospects as we move deeper into 2021, and the adaptability of this employment sector as these roles are more remote-friendly. That trend is most obvious in the Toronto market, where the share of clicks to “content writer” jobs saw 144% growth over the past 11 months, followed by “social media specialist” (101%). The trend is not just limited to the GTA. Vancouver also saw strong marketing-related job click gains, with the “digital marketing” title seeing 34% growth in share of clicks, and more modest gains for “content writer”(8%)

With lockdowns continuing to keep large numbers of Canadians indoors, we’re spending more time online than ever and digital platforms have never been in more demand. Likely as a result of that, software development job postings are also showing strong momentum. Indeed finds that job seekers in Toronto are increasingly clicking on tech-related roles such as “systems administrator” (132%) and “development operations engineer” (92%). In an industry where marketing and technology go hand-in-hand, it’s another positive sign for those looking to start or resume their marketing career in 2021.

Canada’s job market still faces many challenges, but marketers in the Toronto and Vancouver markets can take heart that better days are almost certainly ahead.

By Jodi Kasten, Managing Director at Indeed Canada

Jodi Kasten is Managing Director at Indeed, Canada’s #1 job site, responsible for setting the organization’s vision and go-to-market strategy. Jodi’s expertise includes a deep understanding of the Canadian job market, workplace trends and what millions of job seekers and employers need to find the right fit.

Jodi has over 15 years of marketing and business development experience having worked for high-profile brands such as Microsoft Canada, SAP Canada, eBay Inc. and The Weather Network. She holds a Bachelor of Economics degree from Brock University and an Image Consulting Certificate from George Brown College. She currently resides in Toronto.