At a glance Oil and gas companies are facing a labor shortage that poses serious risk to the industry’s efforts to recover from the tumult of the past two years. Some workers are moving to the renewable energy space, while others are leaving the industry altogether to join other, more lucrative or ... READ MORE >
labor
Rising capex investments require ‘new collar’ workers: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance Since the last economic recession, the industrial sector has lagged others in capital goods investments, but 2021 saw record industrial spending in this area as companies played catch-up. This elevated spending could have important implications for the industry’s future, especially on ... READ MORE >
Robots rise on the shop floor: Spring 2022 outlook
At a glance Labor challenges, along with the fact that capital is still readily accessible, have strengthened the case for companies to make investments in robotics and automation. The International Federation of Robotics projects the recent economic boom following the pandemic’s initial sharp ... READ MORE >
Manufacturing and energy industry outlook: Spring 2022
Robotics and automation will be crucial areas of focus for manufacturing and energy companies in the year ahead, especially as businesses across these sectors continue to navigate labor challenges, adapt to supply chain disruptions and hone their digital strategies. Our spring edition of The Real ... READ MORE >
Changing work patterns in the middle market: An MMBI special report
The pandemic has fundamentally changed the working world COVID-19 has had a wide range of effects on how middle market businesses conduct operations. Although many of the innovations that companies instituted to deal with the pandemic were meant to be stop-gap measures, some of these initiatives are now ... READ MORE >
Staffing firms thrive amid wage inflation and labor shortages
Staffing firms continue to adapt to challenges caused by the pandemic, becoming more agile and tapping into new revenue streams while finding ways to increase employee productivity. Firms are benefiting from wage inflation, strong mergers and acquisitions activity, and previous investments, according to ... READ MORE >
Initial jobless claims fall for third straight week as labor shortage continues
New filings for unemployment benefits beat estimates with a decrease of 6,000 for the week ending Oct. 16, reaching 290,000 initial jobless claims. That’s the lowest level since March 14, 2020, according to a report from the Department of Labor on Thursday. As strong demand dominates the labor market ... READ MORE >
Canadian law firms are losing talent to more lucrative U.S. jobs. How can they stop the exodus?
The red-hot labor market for lawyers in the United States is magnetizing Canadian lawyers eager to join their American counterparts on the quest for lucrative wage increases at U.S. firms. Canadian firms, meanwhile, have been slower to react with widespread wage adjustments, but we expect that to change ... READ MORE >
Inflation and small firms: The restaurant squeeze is on
The recent surge in inflation is now a significant issue for smaller firms, and nowhere is this more evident than in the restaurant industry. While large firms can hedge volatility and medium-size firms can increase efficiencies to mitigate price increases, smaller firms don’t have as many ... READ MORE >
Four ways retailers and restaurants can manage current inflation and labor pressures
As the economic recovery from the pandemic-induced recession continues, consumer demand is high and the opportunity exists for a strong holiday retail and restaurant season. But these sectors are facing two significant headwinds: inflation and challenges finding qualified labor. During the recession, ... READ MORE >