Statistics Canada, in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), is conducting this business survey to capture information from employers on issues related to skills requirements and skills gaps. The survey also collects information on the strategies companies are deploying to mitigate the consequences of skill gaps in their organization, including human resources management practices, work organization, training programs, and talent recruitment and retention programs.
The data will be used by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and other Government of Canada departments to better understand the skills needs and the skills gaps of Canadian businesses.
Data collected will help support ESDC’s policies and programs pertaining to skills and training needs of Canadian employers, and enable the department to improve its labour market information database, which is critical in understanding pressures and imbalances in the Canadian labour market.
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
Collection period:
- Pre-contact: January 24 to February 18, 2022
- Main collection: From March 8 to May 4, 2022
Collection methods:
Electronic questionnaire
Survey participation:
Voluntary
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19.
By law, Statistics Canada is prohibited from releasing any information it collects that could identify any person, business, or organization, unless consent has been given by the respondent, or as permitted by the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada will use the information from this survey for statistical purposes only.
Data sharing agreements and record linkage
Record linkage
To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada may combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about
- skills gaps that employers experience and improvements needed to address them
- types of actions taken to help employees to work at the required skills levels
- key drivers or changes that impacted the skill requirements of employees
- consequences of a lack in job skills on various aspects of firm performance
- recruitment and retention difficulties that employers face
- staffing and training practices of firms
- the impact of the COVID-19 various issues related to staffing, training and/or skill gaps.
Published data
Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.
Data:You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.
Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.
Survey-specific questions
- What is the Survey of Employers on Workers’ Skills?
- What type of information will be collected?
- How will this information be used?
- Why was my company selected for this survey?
- Do I have to complete this survey?
- Is my information confidential?
- When will the results be available?
- How do I find out more about the survey?
What is the Survey of Employers on Workers’ Skills?
Statistics Canada, in partnership with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), is conducting the Survey of Employers on Workers’ Skills to collect information from employers on skills requirements and skills gaps. The survey also collects information on the strategies companies are deploying to mitigate the consequences of skill gaps in their organization, including human resources management practices, work organization, training programs, and talent recruitment and retention programs.
What type of information will be collected?
The survey collects information on workforce characteristics, skills gaps, staffing and training practices, recruitment and retention difficulties, as well as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on issues related to staffing, training and/or skill gaps.
How will this information be used?
The data collected by this survey will be used by the public organizations, private sector businesses, and Canadians.
The data will be used by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and other Government of Canada departments to better understand the skills needs and the skills gaps of Canadian businesses. Data collected will help support ESDC’s policies and programs pertaining to skills and training needs of Canadian employers, and enable the department to improve its labour market information database, which is critical in understanding pressures and imbalances in the Canadian labour market.
The data will help Canadian businesses to better understand the talent dynamics in their respective sector.
The data will inform Canadians about the skills needs and skills gaps that are present in the Canadian labour market. This will aid Canadians in making decisions regarding their education and training plans.
Why was my company selected for this survey?
The target population is derived from Statistics Canada's Business Register (BR). The BR is an information database on the Canadian business population and serves as a frame for all Statistics Canada business surveys. Survey participants are businesses that have at least one employee, a minimum revenue of $30,000 and that are registered under all North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes other than 11 (Agriculture, forestry and hunting ), 8131 (Religious organizations), 814 (Private households) and 91 (Public administration).
Do I have to complete this survey?
Participation in this survey is voluntary. However, your participation is important and will help ensure that survey results are accurate and complete.
Is my information confidential?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. No information that could identify individuals or businesses can be published or released. To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.
When will the results be available?
Results from this survey will be available in Fall 2022. At that time there will be an announcement in The Daily; Statistics Canada's official release bulletin.
How do I find out more about the survey?
If you have any questions regarding this survey or the questionnaire, please contact Statistics Canada at 1-877-949-9492 or by e-mail at infostats@statcan.gc.ca.