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As wage expectations continue to rise, businesses may struggle to recruit employees, especially in our competitive labour market. As of the second quarter of 2021, the average offered hourly wage in the Vancouver Island and Coast region was $23.95, up from $19.70 in the second quarter of 2019.

Attracting and retaining underrepresented workers is one potential strategy for addressing labour and skill shortages. In fact, studies show that increasing overall workplace diversity improves financial performance and result in better business outcomes.

By all indications, labour shortages are here to stay for the foreseeable future. With that reality in mind, retention is going to be a key factor to sustaining necessary workforce stability.

Economic Development Cowichan has launched the Cowichan Employer Resource Guide, a repository of tools and strategies to assist local businesses in addressing challenges stemming from labour shortages. In August 2021, RBC Economist Carrie Freestone reported a record...

Is your business struggling to find and retain workers? Do you see ‘Help Wanted’ signs everywhere you look on your town’s main street? In recent months, the labour shortage has been at the forefront of many news stories, webinars, and conversations in Cowichan and...