EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
34%
Approximately one-third (34%) of Canada’s other food processors reported not being able to fill positions or chronic recruitment challenges.
41% of other food processors reported an increase in recruitment challenges over the past year, with 18% indicating a significant increase.
53%
The most prominent HR challenge identified in the sector is applicants with too high compensation expectations, viewed as at least somewhat of a challenge by 53% of respondents.
Two-thirds of other food processors cite production related positions as the most difficult to recruit for, while kitchen and administrative roles were identified as the most difficult to recruit for by nearly a quarter (23%) of processors.
The average hourly starting wage for entry level front-line workers is
$15.96
$18,455*
The average hourly starting wage for entry level front-line workers is
*per annum
METHODOLOGY AND RESPONSES
How we did it
126 Other Food processors responded to this survey and participated either online or by telephone between February and May 2020. The extended time in field was due to COVID –19 pandemic. It wasn’t possible to ask as many questions in the phone version of the survey as opposed to the online version. As such the number of respondents is indicated by N for every chart and ranges from 22 to 100 depending on the question.
Who we surveyed:
N= 126 Othe Food processing employers surveyed
| Region | Survey Responses |
| BC | 21 |
| AB | 15 |
| SK/MB | 9 |
| ON | 28 |
| QC | 47 |
| Atlantic Canada | 5 |
| Not Specified | 1 |
| TOTAL | 126 |
The majority of the questions in this report were asked to food and beverage processors across the country, there were 740 responses in total to the survey. The findings of the overall survey are available on the FPSC website (https://fpsc-ctac.com/reports/) in the report titled:
2020 Labour Market Information Survey Report – Canadian Food & Beverage Manufacturing Industry Report.
OTHER FOOD PROCESSORS SURVEY
126 Other Food processors responded to this survey and participated either online or by telephone between February and May 2020. The extended time in field was due to COVID –19 pandemic. It wasn’t possible to ask as many questions in the phone version of the survey as opposed to the online version. As such the number of respondents is indicated by N for every chart and ranges from 22 to 100 depending on the question.
Who we surveyed:
N= 126 Othe Food processing employers surveyed
| Region | Survey Responses |
| BC | 21 |
| AB | 15 |
| SK/MB | 9 |
| ON | 28 |
| QC | 47 |
| Atlantic Canada | 5 |
| Not Specified | 1 |
| TOTAL | 126 |
Overview
- Industry Profile
- Workforce Profile
- Workforce Availability and Recruitment
- Wages and Benefits
- Training and Skills Development
- Impact of Covid-19
Who we surveyed
- N= 126* Other Food processing employers surveyed
- Quebec had the largest concentration of Other Food processors
OTHER FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRY PROFILE
In a Snapshot
- The majority of facilities (63%) manufacture other food products that are not specified, while approximately one in six facilities produce snack food (16%) and seasoning and dressing (15%)
- The vast majority of facilities (85%) produce products in Canada, while 12% of facilities produce products both domestically and abroad
OTHER FOOD PROCESSING WORKFORCE PROFILE
Employment Size
Other Food processors mainly operate small to medium size facilities:
- The “average” processor in Canada has 45 paid positions, including both filled and vacant positions
- 74% of processors reported fewer than 50 paid positions at their facility
- 5% of processors reported 200 or more paid positions are their facility
* Includes both filled and vacant positions
Size of Processing Facilities, Paid Positions*
Employment Size
- The “average” Other Food processor has 45 paid positions at their facility
- On average, more than 90% of paid positions are filled by women
- On average, a significantly lower portion are unionized (13%), filled by workers with disabilities (5%) or Indigenous Peoples (3%)
Question: On average, in 2019 how many paid positions were…?
Average Paid Positions, Share (%)
Employment by Occupation
- Sanitation and production workers were also reported as common positions in the sector
| Occupation | Average # of People Employed |
|---|---|
| Warehouse worker | 150 |
| Sanitation | 52 |
| Production | 32.7 |
| Shipping/receiving clerk | 16.6 |
| Packing clerk | 15 |
| Entry Level General laborers | 13 |
| Front desk clerk | 12 |
| Certified Bakers (With Cert of Qualification) | 10 |
| Chefs /Cooks | 8.3 |
| Retail Salespersons | 8 |
| Maintenance worker | 7 |
| Supply chain/logistics | 5.8 |
| Supervisor/team leader | 5.5 |
| Marketing | 5.5 |
| Food science | 5 |
| Kitchen helper | 5 |
| Skilled/Semi-skilled Process control and machine operators | 3.8 |
| Cake decorator | 3 |
| Pastry chef | 3 |
| Quality Control and Assurance | 1.9 |
| Delivery drivers | 1.5 |
| Management, Finance and Administration | 1.3 |
| Production/operations manager | 1.2 |
| Other | 10.6 |
Highest level of Education Required
- For many positions, only a high school diploma is required
- For other positions, including quality assurance; supply chain; production manager; food science;management, f inance and administration; marketing; recruiter; and retail sales, a university degree is required
Most processors require higher education for quality assurance; supply chain; production manager; food science; management, finance and administration; marketing; recruiter; and retail sales.
| High School Diploma | College Diploma / Trade School | University Undergraduate Degree | University Post Degree | Experience/past training in field | Certificate of Qualification – skilled trades | Other | None | Not Applicable | Don’t Know | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warehouse worker | 100% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Cake decorator | 100% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Kitchen helper | 100% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Front desk clerk | 100% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Packing clerk | 67% | – | – | – | – | – | – | 33% | – | – |
| Shipping/receiving clerk | 60% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 40% | – |
| Production | 56% | 11% | 6% | – | – | – | 17% | 6% | 6% | – |
| Skilled/Semi-skilled Process control and machine operators | 50% | 21% | – | – | 14% | 7% | 7% | – | – | – |
| Entry Level General laborers | 50% | – | 17% | – | – | – | 17% | 17% | – | – |
| Delivery drivers | 50% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 50% | – |
| Sanitation | 50% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 50% |
| Chefs / Cooks | 40% | 40% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 20% |
| Certified Bakers (With Cert of Qualification) | 33% | 67% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Supervisor/ team leader | 29% | 29% | 29% | – | 14% | – | – | – | – | – |
| Quality Control and Assurance | – | 17% | 58% | 17% | – | 8% | – | – | – | – |
| Maintenance worker | – | 75% | – | – | – | – | 25% | – | – | – |
| Supply chain/ logistics | – | 40% | 60% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Production/ operations manager | – | 40% | 60% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Food science | – | – | 100% | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Business Outlook
- Other Food processors are optimistic about the outlook of their business, as most (80%) anticipate an increase in revenue over the next year
- 7% anticipate revenue will either decrease or remain unchanged over the next year
Business Challenges
- The availability of labour is the most significant business challenge within the industry, as approximately six-in-ten (58%) 32% 10% 26% 20% Availability of labour 37% 27% 22% 25% 2% Regulatory requirements (labelling, certification, qualityassurance) Other Food processors identified this as at least somewhat of a challenge
- Implementing new technologies (50%) and regulatory requirements (47%) were also viewed as challenges by a large share of processors 5% 8% 25% Consumer trends 29% 26% 35% Waste reduction and other environmental requirements 10% 30% 34% 5% 3% 40% 29% Implementing new technologies Extreme challenge Somewhat of a challenge A little bit of a challenge 19% 2% Not at all a challenge Don't Know Q
WORKFORCE AVAILABILITY AND RECRUITMENT
Business Challenges
- 29% reported experiencing occasional or seasonal challenges
- All together, 63% report some form of challenges recruiting or retaining qualified workers
- Approximately one-third reported experiencing no challenges recruiting or retaining workers
Approximately one-third (34%) of Canada’s Other Food processors reported not being able to fill positions or chronic recruitment challenges.
Workforce Availability
17%
Experiencing immediate and persistent challenges throughout the year recruiting and retaining qualified workers and cannot fill vacant positions
17%
Experiencing ongoing challenges recruiting or retaining qualified workers to successfully fill positions
29%
Experiencing occasional or seasonal challenges recruiting or retaining qualified workers. Cannot fill vacancies during peak periods
33%
Experiencing no significant challenges in recruiting or retaining qualified workers
4%
Don’t Know
Recruitment Challenges
- The majority of processors (50%) reported these challenges have remained constant over the past year
- Only 4% reported recruitment challenges decreased over the past year
41% of Other Food processors reported an increase in recruitment challenges over the past year, with 18% indicating a significant increase.
Other Food Processors Roles Most Difficult to Recruit For
- Two-thirds (67%) of Other Food processors cite production-related positions, as the most difficult to recruit for
- Around one in four (23%) find kitchen or administrative (23%) positions to be the most difficult to recruit for
- 38% cited other positions not listed as the most difficult to recruit for
Human Resource Challenges
- The most prominent issue, reported as at least somewhat challenging by the majority of processors (53%), was applicants with compensation expectation that were too high
- A lack of qualified applicants was also identified as at least somewhat of a challenge by the majority of processors wage expectations (56%).
Most Other Food processors (60%) report having a dedicated human resources staff or department.
Immigration Programs
Underrepresented Groups
- The majority of Other Food processors reported making concerted efforts to recruit youth under 30 (59%) and women (54%)
- Recruitment efforts lagged behind for Indigenous Peoples (28%) and people with disabilities (24%)
WORKFORCE WAGES AND BENEFITS
- Most Other Food processors (63%) reported offering benefits at their plant or organization, one of the highest proportions across the food and beverage processing industry.
- Of those who provide benefits, nearly all processors (96%) provide employees with extended health or drug plans, while paid days and sick leave were also frequently reported by 74% of processors
- Fewer than half of processors reported offering RRSP matching (44%), pension plans (36%) and tuition reimbursement (30%)
Benefits Offered
96%
Extended health or drug plan
74%
Paid days or sick / family leave
44%
RRSP matching
36%
Pension plan
30%
Tuition reimbursement
10%
Other
4%
Workplace parks
4%
Bonus
4%
Free products / discount
TRAINING AND SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
In a Snapshot
- Other Food processors reported an average training budget of $18,455 annually.
- On average, this equates to approximately $410 per paid position.
- The sector utilizes a variety of training tools, while on-the-job training (90%) and in-house training (87%) are the most common tools used.
Automation in the Other Food Sector
- 22% of Other Food processors reported moderate integration of automated production processes
- Approximately one in five processors (22%) reported no integration, slightly higher than the total sample
Educational Programming
- Nearly half (48%) of Other Food processors rate the educational programming designed to produce graduates for their sector as being inadequate or non-existent
- Four-in-ten (40%) processors think it is, at a minimum, adequate
Perceived Threat
- The majority of Other Food processors surveyed (87%) think COVID-19 poses at least some threat to their business, while a significant portion (41%) feel highly threatened by it.
- 14% of processors reported they saw no perceived threat to their business, the highest concentration across food and beverage sectors.
IMPACT OF COVID-19
Production Volumes
- Most Other Food processors surveyed (63%) reported a reduction in production due to COVID-19
- Approximately a quarter (23%) reported an increase in production volume due to COVID-19
-
Other Food processors have been impacted in many ways by COVID-19
- Decline in customer orders has been the most notable impact, as reported by 63% of processors
- Decline in cash flow was also reported by most processors (53%)
-
Other Food processors also took different approaches to dealing with COVID’s impact
- Approximately four-in-ten processors reported conducting layoffs (42%) and reducing workers hours (39%)
- Fewer processors reported allowing work from home (23%) or increased outsourcing (5%)
Impact of COVID-19
Decline in number of workers available
45%
Decline in availability of raw materials or supplies
29%
Decline in orders from customers
63%
Closure due to health concerns
8%
Decline in cash flow
53%
Action Taken
Increased outsourcing
5%
Allowed employees to work from home
23%
Reduced workers’ hours
39%
Laid-off workers
42%
