The average starting salaries for Canadian professionals will increase by a projected 3.1 per cent next year, according to global staffing firm Robert Half.
Its 2017 salary guide shows that technology roles will lead the way in projected increases (3.2 per cent), followed by finance and accounting jobs (3.1 per cent) and legal and creative fields (3.1 per cent). Those in administrative roles can expect average starting salaries to increase by three per cent.
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“Companies continue to seek employees with increasingly specialized skills, most notably in finance and technology, and this demand is driving salary growth,” said Greg Scileppi, Canadian president of international staffing operations at Robert Half.
“Professionals with expertise in tax, accounting, compliance, big data and network security, are in particularly short supply. Building and establishing a team with strength in these areas requires a hiring strategy of attractive, flexible compensation packages, and a nimble approach that ensures candidates don’t lose interest during a lengthy hiring process.”
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When it comes to areas in particularly high demand, Robert Half cited Statistics Canada information showing specialized professionals whose roles involve more than one function, such as technology and finance, with unemployment rates as low as two per cent in 2016. In comparison, the national unemployment rate for the general labour force was 6.9 per cent, as of July 2016.
Source: Robert Half Canada