Transport truck drivers saw the strongest employment growth in the first quarter of 2024, with an additional 32,600 drivers employed in the quarter compared to Q1 2023, according to the latest Trucking HR Canada (THRC) labor market information snapshot.

Total employment in trucking and logistics was 763,800 workers, down 1.5% from the previous quarter but up almost 51,000 employees compared to Q1 2023. Occupational groups such as managers and supervisors and accounting also experienced employment growth, increasing by 3.4% and 4.5% respectively, compared with the same quarter in 2023.

“The latest report shows growth in our sector’s labor supply as the number of active job seekers jumped sharply in the first quarter of 2024,” said Craig Faucette, THRC’s chief program officer. “This is good news for employers who are looking to hire and train additional workers for unfilled positions.”

Employment in other occupations expanded, with an additional 4,500 material handlers, 3,100 delivery and courier service drivers, 2,600 heavy-duty mechanics and 1,300 dispatchers employed in Q1 of 2024.

The total supply of labor (both employed and unemployed) increased steadily over the course of 2023 and into 2024, topping 807,000 in the first quarter. This is an 8% increase from Q1 2023, with the addition of almost 60,000 participants to the sector’s labor supply.

The steady increase in labor supply in the industry is good news for employers who are still looking to hire and train additional workers. Along with the increase in employment in Q1 2024, data on unemployment – those workers who are actively seeking work in the sector – also shows a marked increase, with an additional 10,000 people looking for jobs in trucking and logistics occupations, compared with Q1 2023, the report showed.

According to THRC data, trucking and logistics sector had an average of 37,375 vacant jobs in 2023. With an estimated 29,600 workers actively seeking jobs in the sector, employers would have needed an inflow of an additional 7, 775 new workers to meet their labor requirements. This is a significant drop from 2022, when the shortfall was approaching 25,000.