The number of new unduplicated online job ads dipped in all nine census regions in February compared to the January level. The largest declines were in the East South Central (Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi and Tennessee) and East North Central (Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin) regions, down 9.1% and 8.9%, respectively. The smallest dip was 7.0% in the West South Central region which includes Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas.

“Looking at individual metropolitan areas, there are some bright spots, especially on the west coast,” said Goldstein. In the first two months of 2006, San Jose, San Diego and Portland all posted new online ad volume that was above late summer/early fall levels. Going across the country, other metropolitan areas showing relative strength in January-February include Minneapolis-St. Paul and Denver. “In the West South Central region, in addition to New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Austin and Dallas may be showing some strength. However, on the east coast, Washington D.C. is the only metropolitan area where this year’s online ad volume hints at any strength compared to last summer’s levels,” Goldstein noted.

San Diego Tops the Nation in Online Job Ads

Adjusting jobs ads for the size of the local labor force, San Diego with 3.17 job ads per 100 persons in the labor force leads the way among the 52 metropolitan areas for which data is published, followed closely by Denver (3.04), and San Francisco (3.01). The lowest number of online job ads per 100 persons in the labor force in February was in Detroit (0.68), followed by Rochester, NY (0.87).

ABOUT THE NEW ONLINE JOB SERIES

The Conference Board Help-Wanted Online Data Series™ measures the number of new, first-time online jobs posted on more than 1,200 major Internet job boards and smaller job boards that serve niche markets and smaller geographic areas.

Like The Conference Board’s long running Help-Wanted Advertising Index of print ads (which has been published since 1951), the new online series is not a direct measure of job vacancies. The level of ads in both print and online may change for reasons not related to overall job demand.

TORONTO Leadership is the star of business books, programs and buzz. Management, on the other hand, has become a dirty word. Everywhere experts promote leadership. Pundits tell us we are all leaders and we must develop visionary leadership skills.

It's all very inspiring --- and according to Helen Wilkie, keynote speaker, consultant and creator of "The Manager's Journey", it's also misleading.

"Of course great leadership is desirable," says Wilkie, "but all this hype has created a bias against essential management skills. It seems nobody wants to be seen as a manager, because everyone is fixated on the perceived higher goal of leadership."

Wilkie claims typical comparisons between managers and leaders are invalid. Some suggest that while managers do planning and budgeting, leaders provide direction. "That's apples vs oranges," says Wilkie. "Certainly planning and budgeting are management functions. But an effective manager must also guide employees through the process of making the plans and budgets reality --- which makes providing direction a management function too."

Adds Wilkie, "It's another platitude that while managers follow rules and regulations, leaders question them. What nonsense! A manager is not a robot. If existing rules don't lead to the best outcome, the manager questions them -- - thinking is also a management function!"

Wilkie typically works with first-time managers who face a new world in which they are no longer the "doers", but instead must get the job done through others. It's hard for many to relinquish old comfort zones, and even harder when they are so busy trying to lead that they don't learn basic, universal management competencies.

"When you are a new driver," says Wilkie, "you focus on the tasks that keep the car moving safely through the traffic. Only after this becomes automatic can you enjoy the scenery. If you pay attention to the scenery before you're a competent driver, you'll land in the ditch." According to Wilkie, over-emphasis on leadership is sending many a new manager into the ditch.

Contractor Certification-An Industry First From Eagle! Eagle Certified Professional Contractor Program Sets Industry Standard for Code of Conduct and Professionalism

OTTAWA, ONTARIO- - Eagle is pleased to announce the release of the first IT Contractor Certification Program in the Canadian IT Staffing Industry. The Eagle Certified Professional IT Contractor Program recognizes and rewards excellence in the IT contractor profession.

IT contractors who have worked with Eagle will be eligible for the program which is designed to "raise the bar" for IT Contract Professionals. In order to be eligible an IT contractor needs to be technically excellent in their role, professional in their conduct and adhere to an industry benchmark Code of Conduct. Eligibility will be confirmed through job references, acceptance and adherence to the Code of Conduct and by Eagle's positive experience with the contractor.

There are many benefits to the IT contractor, including a valuable job reference, an industry certification, membership in an elite group and special status with Eagle. It is also expected that clients and other agencies will recognize the status accorded to recipients of the certification.

"We are excited about this program and pleased to be able to recognize the truly professional IT contractors who perform excellent work, year in and year out, in our industry." said Kevin Dee, Eagle's CEO. "Independent IT contractors bring a ton of value to the economy and this is a program that sets those great professionals apart. Adoption of the Code of Conduct itself will identify those contractors who believe in high ethical standards, a definite benefit to our end clients and the staffing industry as a whole."

Labour productivity, hourly compensation and unit labour cost - Fourth quarter and annual 2005

Labour productivity in the Canadian business sector rose for the first time in three years in 2005, and the nation's manufacturing sector played a considerable role in the recovery.

Overall productivity rose by 1.1% on average in the business sector, after a 0.4% decline in 2004 and a flat performance in 2003.

In the manufacturing sector alone, productivity surged 5.2% last year, a net acceleration from 3.8% in 2004. This solid performance stemmed in part from efforts by factories to downsize their work force, resulting in a marked 3.1% decline in hours worked last year.

The manufacturing sector, which is responsible for nearly 15% of jobs in Canadian businesses, boosted output without creating new jobs. Factory jobs have declined by about 120,000 since the end of 2002.

Labour productivity, as measured by real gross domestic product (GDP) for every hour worked, is a primary determinant of improvements to the standard of living in the long run. It is also the main source of economic growth.

Last year's gain in productivity was identical to the average in the previous five years. Productivity regained momentum in the wake of a slowdown in hours worked combined with steady growth in economic activity, a situation similar to 2002. In 2003 and 2004, however, output grew almost in tandem with hours worked, thereby cancelling any productivity gains.

On a quarterly basis, labour productivity in the business sector rose by 0.5% in the fourth quarter, continuing its recovery begun in the third quarter. After slow growth in the first two quarters of 2005, productivity recovered significantly in the second half of the year.

Canada's fourth-quarter growth surpassed that of the United States for the first time in almost five years. Fourth-quarter productivity among US businesses remains flat.

However, on an annual basis, productivity in the United States increased 2.7% on average in 2005, more than twice the average rate of growth in Canada.

Furthermore, the rise in the loonie compared to its US counterpart during 2005 resulted in a 9.9% increase in Canada's unit labour cost expressed in US dollars, compared to only 2.7% in the United States.

Manufacturing sector: Decline in hours worked while production rises

On a quarterly basis, the number of hours worked in the manufacturing sector fell for a sixth consecutive quarter, while production continued to rise, though more slowly than in the second and third quarters of 2004.

In 2005, the manufacturing sector encountered a number of challenges, including the strength of the loonie, higher energy costs and increasingly stronger competition from emerging economies.

The Canadian dollar rose 6.9% compared to its US counterpart last year. This increase came on the heels of gains of 7.1% in 2004 and 10.8% in 2003.

However, Canadian businesses took advantage of the latest rise in the loonie by investing in more efficient machinery and equipment. Spending in this area rose by 10.7% in 2005.

Canadian productivity ahead of the United States for the first time in almost five years

Labour productivity among American businesses was flat in the fourth quarter after a 1.3% surge in the previous three months. This was only the first time since the first quarter of 2001 that Canada's productivity growth surpassed that of the United States.

Canada (+0.3%) and the United States (+0.4%) posted a similar rate of growth in hours worked in the fourth quarter. However, the net deceleration in GDP south of the border resulted in zero growth in productivity in the United States, the first occurrence since the fourth quarter of 2003.

Real GDP among Canadian businesses grew by 0.7% during the last three months of 2005, slower than the 1.0% gain posted in the previous quarter. This stemmed from the partial slowdown in domestic demand due to the significant rise in imports.

Among American businesses, growth in GDP slowed considerably in the fourth quarter, rising only 0.4% compared to 1.2% in the third quarter. The last time US GDP recorded such a low pace was in the first quarter of 2003. The fourth-quarter slowdown in American output was due mainly to a decline in household spending.

Annual 2005: Gap in productivity between United States and Canada the smallest in five years

On an annual basis, productivity growth among American businesses increased at just over twice the pace that it did among Canadian businesses in 2005. However, the gap in growth between the two nations narrowed last year to only 1.6 percentage points, the lowest five years.

This was well below the gap of 3.9 percentage points in 2004 and 4.1 points in 2003. Last year's gap was the smallest since 2001 when it was only 1.4 percentage points.

Last year's average increase of 2.7% in labour productivity in the United States was slower than the 3.9% average growth posted during the acceleration in US productivity between 2002 and 2004. However, it was slightly superior to the annual average increase of 2.3% recorded between 1995 and 2001.

The difference in productivity growth between the two countries in 2005 is entirely attributed to the difference in GDP growth, since both countries experienced a comparable increase in hours worked.

Unit labour costs: Net acceleration in both Canada and the United States

Unit labour costs accelerated in both Canada and the United States in 2005. (Unit labour cost is the cost of worker compensation and benefits for every unit of economic output.)

In Canada, labour costs of businesses per unit of GDP rose 2.4%, more than double the 0.9% increase in 2004. In the United States, unit labour costs rose 2.7%, also double the 1.2% growth in 2004. These costs have accelerated gradually over the past four years for US businesses.

Last year's gains resulted from strong increases in hourly compensation. In Canada, hourly compensation surged by 3.5% last year, a much stronger increase than the 0.6% rise posted in 2004.

In contrast, the growth in hourly compensation paid to workers in the American business sector rose from 4.7% in 2004 to 5.4% in 2005.

Despite improved productivity, the strength of the Canadian dollar again pushed up unit labour costs in terms of American dollars last year. The rise in the loonie compared to its US counterpart during 2005, combined with rising wages in Canada, resulted in a 9.9% increase in Canada's unit labour costs expressed in US dollars, compared to only 2.7% in the United States.

TORONTO, ONTARIO-Country's Leading Commercial Real Estate Services Company Announces Changes to Leadership Team

Colliers International, one of Canada's leading commercial real estate firms, today announced the promotion of David Bowden to President of Canadian Business Operations. Mr. Bowden will be responsible for the execution of Colliers national business strategy and will work in conjunction with the leaders of Colliers other business lines.

As an executive with Colliers International for the past 10 years, Bowden has played an integral role in contributing to the success that Colliers has enjoyed in Canada. Bowden has held a number of senior positions within Colliers including leadership of the Corporate Services division and Professional Development group.

"We are delighted that David has agreed to lead Colliers' Canadian operations. He brings with him an exceptional level of knowledge and understanding of both client needs and regional nuances of the Canadian real estate market," said Richard Chichester, President of Colliers North American Operations. "The characteristics required for this position are quite unique, and I am confident that David possesses these leadership traits and is the right choice for the job. With his tremendous experience in the commercial real estate industry, and his overall dedication and passion for the company, I see only great success on the horizon for Colliers and our Canadian operations with David at the helm."

"I have been honoured with the opportunity to lead the number one commercial real estate company in the country," said Bowden. "Fundamentally, I like big challenges and I'm looking forward to meeting this one. We have a solid corporate strategy and now it is my responsibility to ensure that we execute and continue to succeed moving forward. Colliers has an exceptional reputation, and an extraordinary group of professionals dedicated to customer service".

In addition to announcing their new Canadian President, Colliers International also announced today that Scott Addison has been appointed Senior Vice President and Regional Managing Director of Colliers three Toronto offices.

"With over 14 years of experience with the Colliers team, Scott is the perfect choice to lead the process of further amalgamation and coordination of the Toronto offices," said Bowden.

"My goal over the coming months will be to develop a coordinated business plan that enables us to attain our aggressive growth strategy," said Scott Addison. "Today we are three offices, but moving forward our clients can expect a streamlined and dedicated team approach that further ensures the appropriate skill sets and expertise are applied to every project."

"We have been working towards expanding our customer service offering and continuing to bring top executive talent into the management structure of our operations," said Chichester. "Today's appointments are further proof that we are dedicated to improving our Canadian offering through strong, dedicated investment in our people."

- While Canadian men and women agree that workplace equality has improved in last 10 years, most don't believe true equality exists yet -

TORONTO, March 8 - Despite significant gains in the past 10 years, women executives around the world still face an uphill battle in workplace equality, a new study by Accenture (NYSE:ACN) shows.

The study, entitled "The Anatomy of the Glass Ceiling: Barriers to Women's Professional Advancement", is based on a survey of 1,200 male and female executives in eight countries in North America, Europe and Asia: the United States, Canada, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia and the Philippines.

Respondents were asked to score factors they felt influenced their career success across three "dimensions": individual (career planning, professional competence, assertiveness, etc.); company (supportive supervisors, transparent promotion processes, tailored training programs, etc.); and society (equal rights, government support of parental leave, etc.).

The differences between male and female respondents' answers were used to calculate the current "thickness" of the glass ceiling - a term coined in the 1980s to describe an unacknowledged barrier that prevents women and other minorities from achieving positions of power or responsibility in their professions.

In Canada, approximately two-thirds of both male and female executives (67 per cent of men and 64 per cent of women) believe that gender equality in the workplace has improved in the last 10 years. However, only one-third (32 per cent) of all Canadian executives surveyed believe that men and women have equal opportunities in the workplace, and one-third (34 per cent) of the female executives in Canada believe that their gender limits their career opportunities.

"Equality in the workplace is still a battle for many women," said Jodie Wallis, a senior executive in Accenture's Financial Services practice. "While there has been improvement, companies need to recognize the contributions women make to their organizations. The glass ceiling is starting to crack, but it has not been shattered."

For some women executives the glass ceiling is believed to be more of a societal obstacle than an individual barrier. Women executives in the United States and the United Kingdom, for instance, are very confident of their own business capabilities (the "individual" dimension) and are more likely to believe that the greatest barriers to their success come not from their own capabilities or even from their own companies' cultures (the "company" dimension), but from society at large (the "society" dimension). On the other end of the spectrum, women executives in Canada and the Philippines believe that societal issues are less of a barrier to achieving career success and that corporate cultures are more to blame for the glass ceiling.

Canadian organizations have room for improvement when it comes to supporting equal opportunity in the workplace. Only 28 per cent of Canadian women said that their companies have formal mentoring programs for women. In addition, less than half (45 per cent) of Canadian women see promotion processes as transparent, compared with 52 per cent of Canadian men.

"Building and retaining a diverse workforce is a tremendous asset to any Canadian firm," said Wallis. "At Accenture, we have found that creating an environment where mentoring, networking and sponsorship thrive advances women and the company."

When asked to rate factors related to career development, 80 per cent of Canadian women chose assertiveness as a career-advancing factor. Other factors to influence career development for Canadian women were personal ambition (78 percent), internal networking (69 percent) and willingness to relocate (59 percent).

"The study reminds us that while there has been progress in shattering the glass ceiling over the past 20 years, organizations - and societies - need to realize how important it is to capitalize and build upon the skills of women," said Kedrick D. Adkins, Accenture's chief diversity officer. "Creating a business culture that supports innovation, growth and prosperity requires people with diverse talents, and organizations need to ensure that they value all styles of leadership and work. In other words, global inclusion is the key to the long-term success of companies."

The study was conducted as part of Accenture's observance of International Women's Day today, which the company is marking through a series of coordinated activities in 20 cities throughout the world focused on women in business. Accenture expects more than 3,000 of its people to join clients, business leaders and academics in such activities as leadership development sessions, career workshops and networking events including one in Toronto.

Women are playing stronger roles in the workplace and their profile is rising in many professional fields, according to a new assessment on the evolving status of women in Canadian society.

However, the report still shows substantial gaps between the sexes in many key areas.

The average earnings of employed women are still substantially lower than those of men, women make up a disproportionate share of the population with low incomes and women are much more likely than men to work part time.

On the other hand, one of their real success stories has been the dramatic gain in the proportion of women with a university degree. Women are still slightly less likely than men to have a university degree. But the gap is much narrower than in the past.

The current situation for women is assessed in the fifth edition of the compendium Women in Canada: A Gender-based Statistical Report, available today. This 300-page report provides a statistical overview of their demographic characteristics, family arrangements, health, education, employment and unpaid work activity, income, housing, and criminal victimization.

It also includes separate sections describing the situations of immigrant women, women in the visible minority community, Aboriginal women, senior women and women with disabilities.

The report found that the increased participation of women in the paid work force has been one of the most significant social trends in Canada in the past quarter century.

In 2004, 58% of all women aged 15 and over were part of the paid work force, up from 42% in 1976. In contrast, the proportion of men who were employed fell during this period from 73% to 68%.

As a result, women accounted for 47% of the employed work force in 2004, up from 37% in 1976.

The report also showed that women have somewhat higher literacy skills, on average, than the male population; the proportion of women living with their spouse has declined in the past two decades; more women are living alone; and women make up the majority of the Canadian population with disabilities.

Higher profile in many professional fields

Women have increased their representation in several professional fields in recent years. Indeed, women currently make up over half those employed in both diagnostic and treatment positions in medicine, related health professions and in business and financial professional positions.

There has also been a long-term increase in the share of women employed in managerial positions. In 2004, 37% of all those employed in managerial positions were women, up from 30% in 1987.

However, all this growth occurred in the early part of this period. The share of management positions accounted for by women actually dipped slightly between 1996 and 2004.

As well, among managers, women tend to be better represented in lower-level positions as opposed to those at more senior levels. Women also remain very much a minority among professionals employed in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics.

The report also found dramatic increases in the employment levels of women with very young children. By 2004, 65% of all women with children under the age of three were employed, more than double the proportion in 1976. Similarly, 70% of women whose youngest child was aged three to five worked for pay in 2004, up from 37% in 1976.

In addition, the share of female lone parents with jobs has risen dramatically over the last three decades. In 2004, 68% of female lone parents were employed, whereas the figure was below 50% in 1976.

Women are also much more likely than their male counterparts to work part time. In 2004, 27% of the total female work force were part-time employees, more than double the proportion of just 11% among employed men. Women currently account for about 70% of all part-time employees, a figure which has not changed appreciably since the mid-1970s.

The majority of employed women continue to work in occupations in which women have traditionally been concentrated. In 2004, two-thirds of all employed women were working in teaching, nursing and related health occupations, clerical or other administrative positions, and sales and service occupations.

In fact, there has been virtually no change in the proportion of women employed in these traditionally female-dominated occupations over the past decade.

Women's earnings still substantially lower

The average earnings of employed women are still substantially lower than those of men, even when they are employed on a full-time basis.

In 2003, women working on a full-time, full-year basis had average earnings of $36,500, or 71% what their male counterparts made.

As well, the gap between the earnings of women and men has not changed substantially in the past decade.

Women make up a disproportionate share of the population in Canada with low incomes as measured by Statistics Canada's low income cut-off (LICO) on an after-tax basis. Unattached women are particularly likely to have low incomes.

In 2003, 31% of unattached women aged 16 and over lived in low income. Seniors are the least likely unattached women to have low incomes. Indeed, the incidence of low income among unattached senior women has dropped sharply since the early 1980s.

Families headed by female lone parents also have relatively high rates of low income. In 2003, 38% of all families headed by lone-parent mothers had incomes which fell below the after-tax LICO. In comparison, this was the case for 13% of male lone-parent families and just 7% of non-elderly two-parent families with children.

However, the incidence of low income among lone-parent families headed by women has declined somewhat since the early 1980s when the figure hovered around 50%.

As a result, lone-parent families headed by women continue to be home to a disproportionate share of all children living in a low-income situation.

In 2003, 43% of all children in a low-income family were living with a single female parent, whereas these families accounted for only 13% of all children aged 17 and under.

One in seven women is a visible minority

More than two million women, or 14% of the total female population, are members of a visible minority. They are centered largely in Toronto and Vancouver.

More than one-quarter (26%) of women who reported that they were in a visible minority were Chinese, while 22% were South Asian and 17% were Black, according to the 2001 Census.

Three out of every four women who were members of a visible minority lived in either Ontario or British Columbia. Women in a visible minority made up 22% of the overall female population of British Columbia, and 19% in Ontario.

The female visible minority population is relatively well educated. In 2001, 21% of visible minority woman aged 15 or older had a university degree, compared with 14% of other women.

But while visible minority women are better educated on average than other Canadian women, they are somewhat less likely to be employed. In addition, visible minority women generally earn less at their jobs than do other women.

A million reasons to march in the 2006 IWD Toronto March & Rally - a million reasons to celebrate all the women in our lives - a million reasons to honour the women who came before us and inspire us today - a million reasons to reflect on the struggles still facing women - a million reasons to urge Torontonians that together, we can end the ills that persist and permeate our world, our city, our neighbourhoods, our lives - a million reasons to come together in a sea of solidarity for the largest IWD March & Rally in Canada.

"We march to stop the violence that we see all around us, the atrocities we call war, the injustice and global inequality women continue to face - poverty and lack of opportunity and unfair wages," states Carolyn Egan, IWD March & Rally organizer, woman's advocate and President of the United Steelworkers of America Local 8300.

"Women, children and men from all walks of life will brave the cold to join the march, and tell the world that more needs to be done; we cannot sit idly by and do nothing," says Ayesha Adhami, from the Immigrant Women's Health Centre. Jenny Ahn, President, Canadian Auto Workers Local 40, adds, "And so we march every year to raise awareness and to encourage everyone to be proactive. We can create positive change by working together."

Hundreds of Toronto women's groups, anti-violence and peace advocates, anti-poverty NGOs, labour unions, CKLN Radio will all be marching. Organized by "Working Women Working with Immigrant Women" and its allies who come together every year in the IWD Toronto Committee, the 28th Annual IWD Toronto March & Rally day's events are free to attend and include:

11:00 AM - Rally, Speakers & Performances - OISE Auditorium, 252 Bloor St. W, Toronto

1:00 PM - 2006 IWD Toronto March - starting outside OISE, 252 Bloor St. W. (St. George subway station), west along Bloor, south on Yonge, circling Gerrard & Elm St, and finishing at the Ryerson Student Centre (Ryerson University, 55 Gould St.)

1:30 to 4:30 PM - IWD Fair - Ryerson Student Centre, Ryerson University, 55 Gould St, Toronto.

Visit us online at www.iwdtoronto.com for the March Route Map, speaker & performer bios, Fair Exhibitors, Workshop Presenters, and other IWD Toronto 2006 Events & Celebrations.

TORONTO - They may have reached the top finance spot in the organization, but chief financial officers (CFOs) know what would make them step down from their posts, according to a new survey. Forty-five per cent of financial executives polled said the most likely reason they would resign is for a better offer, followed by failure to see eye to eye with CEO or board at 15 per cent. Twenty-two per cent of CFOs said the average tenure of a company's top financial executive is 11 to 15 years.

The survey was developed by Robert Half Management Resources, the world's premier provider of senior-level accounting and finance professionals to supplement companies' project and interim staffing needs. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 270 CFOs from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees. CFOs were asked, "In your opinion, which one of the following would be the most likely reason a CFO would choose to leave his or her position?" Their responses:

Better offer by another company..................... 45%
Failure to see eye to eye with CEO or board......... 15%
Lack of challenge................................... 13%
Opportunity to start own business................... 9%
Retirement.......................................... 7%
Pressure to meet regulatory requirements and compliance deadlines........................... 5%
Opportunity to pursue a consulting career........... 5%
Don't know/no answer................................ 1%
------
100%

CFOs also were asked, "In today's business environment, what do you think is the average tenure for someone appointed CFO at a company?"
1 to 2 years........................................ 0%
3 to 4 years........................................ 7%
5 to 6 years........................................ 18%
7 to 8 years........................................ 9%
9 to 10 years....................................... 19%
11 to 15 years...................................... 22%
16 to 20 years...................................... 3%
21 or more years.................................... 2%
Don't know/no answer................................ 20%

------ 100%
"For financial executives seeking a career move, the prospect of a new opportunity can be enticing but it requires careful consideration," said Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources. "CFOs should weigh all factors before accepting another position, including job responsibilities, performance expectations, fit with the company's culture and management team, and compensation."

"We see progress, but additional, sustained commitments from government and public partners are required"

MONTREAL - The Community Health and Social Services Network (CHSSN), a community organization aiming to improve access to health and social services in English for Quebec's English-speaking communities, released today the results of a major survey on the state of access in English to health and social services in the province. The survey reveals wide differences in access to services between the regions in Quebec, as well as on the Island of Montreal.

The survey of 3,129 English-speaking Quebecers and 1,002 Francophones in all regions of Quebec measured their general satisfaction with access in their region, their satisfaction with specific types of services (CLSC, hospital emergency, doctor in clinic, etc.), as well as the frequency of use of these services.

"While comparison with previous surveys indicates some progress over the years, there's still a long way to go to ensure English-speaking Quebecers in all regions are able to receive services in their language", concludes Jennifer Johnson, Executive Director of the CHSSN.

"We need sustained commitments from government and public partners to make a real difference in our communities over the long-term," adds Johnson In the western part of Montreal, 55% of English-speakers surveyed said they were generally satisfied with access, while only 39% felt the same way in Montreal's east end. Lanaudière's English-speakers were among the least satisfied (21%). Only 37% of English-speakers in Estrie, 43% in Outaouais and 34% in Laval felt positively about their ability to obtain the health and social services they need in the language of their choice.

The survey also found that, overall, English-speaking Quebecers use certain health services less than Francophones. For example, Info-Santé health information phone-in service is an example: 41% of Francophones aged 25-44 have used Info-Santé compared to 26% of Anglophones of the same age group. The survey was conducted by CROP on behalf of the CHSSN between May and June 2005. For a complete summary of the findings and the full report, visit www.chssn.org.

Author
Wendy Pyper is with the Labour and Household Surveys Analysis Division. She can be reached at (613) 951-0381 or perspectives@statcan.ca.

Author
Cara Williams is with the Labour and Household Surveys Analysis Division. She can be reached at (613) 951-6972 or perspectives@statcan.ca.

Study: Aging, health and work - 2003

The people in Canada's labour force who were within 10 years of retirement in 2003 were generally in good or excellent physical and mental health, according to a new study.

However, nearly half a million (19%) individuals aged between 50 and 69 had already left the labour force because of health-related reasons. Their loss is important because of rising concerns over a labour shortage in coming years as the baby-boom generation nears retirement and the growth in Canada's population slows. In 2002, 20% of workers were within 10 years of the median retirement age, double the proportion 15 years earlier.

This study used data from the 2003 Canadian Community Health Survey to examine the severity of the health issues faced by these individuals.

The study showed that the issue worsens with age. For every 100 working men aged 50 to 54 in 2003, only 6 were not working because of ill health. By the age of 65 to 69, this ratio had tripled to 19.

Among women, the ratio was substantially higher, and the increase by age larger. For every 100 working women aged 50 to 54, 10 were not working for health reasons. By the age of 65 to 69, this had risen nearly four-fold.

The study found that individuals who were not working because of ill health rated their physical and mental health as fair to poor. Chronic conditions such as arthritis and rheumatism, high blood pressure and back problems were common concerns.

Of those not working for health reasons, 7 in 10 older men and 9 in 10 women suffered from three or more chronic conditions. These rates were much higher than in the working population.

Mobility was a key concern. Half of women aged 50 to 54 who were not working for health reasons had mobility problems, which could impair their access to the workplace.

In addition, the impact of pain was clearly a concern. For example, only 25% of men aged 50 to 54 who were not working because of ill health were free of pain, compared with 87% of working men in this age group. Almost all of those not working who experienced pain reported moderate to severe levels.

Various risk factors were also associated with not working for health reasons. Among men aged 50 to 54, 42% of those not working for health reasons smoked, compared with only 26% of those working. Unhealthy weight was a similar factor.

Definitions, data sources and methods: survey numbers, including related surveys, 3226 and 3251.

The top 10 jobs that employers are having difficulty filling across the 23 countries and territories surveyed are (ranked in order):

1. Sales Representatives
2. Engineers
3. Technicians (primarily production/operations, engineering and maintenance)
4. Production Operators
5. Skilled Manual Trades (primarily carpenters, welders and plumbers)
6. IT Staff (primarily programmers/developers)
7. Administrative Assistants/Personal Assistants
8. Drivers
9. Accountants
10. Management/Executives

"Across North America and Asia, the top three talent shortages are identical - sales representatives rank number one, followed by engineers and technicians," said Joerres. "Employers are telling us that they are not just looking for bodies to fill sales jobs, they want experienced sales people who know their respective industries and can drive revenues.

"As employers compete for talent in these hot job categories, we will see salaries and compensation escalate. Anyone who is currently searching for a new job or a different career path should seriously consider the results of this survey, and set their sights on getting the education and training required to pursue one of these promising career paths," Joerres advised.

Today's survey announcement coincides with the publication of a new Manpower White Paper, "Confronting the Coming Talent Crunch: What's Next?" The white paper highlights the growing talent shortages around the world and what businesses, government and individuals should be doing to adapt their human resource strategies. Whitepaper available here

Joerres added, "In 10 years, we will see many businesses failing because they haven't planned ahead for the talent shortage and are unable to find the people they need to run their businesses. This is not a cyclical trend, as we have seen in the past, this time the talent crunch is for real, and it's going to last for decades."

Many labour market trends established in the 1990s have been reversed since 2000. Most of these recent trends intensified in the past year, according to a report released today in the Canadian Economic Observer. In particular, it was another banner year for the resource sector. These gains were reflected in stronger employment growth in rural areas and in large firms. In terms of supply, older workers continued to fill the bulk of new jobs. A new trend was full-time positions, which accounted for most job growth.

Mining outside of oil and gas led all industries with a 16% surge in jobs last year. This snapped a downward trend that stretched back to 1990 and saw the loss of nearly half of all jobs in this industry. Metal mining was lifted by buoyant prices, many of which hit their highest level in over a decade.

Oil and gas continued to experience double-digit growth. All areas expanded: extraction grew as new developments in the oil sands and offshore Newfoundland came on line, while the search for new sources intensified to replace dwindling conventional supplies.

Construction jobs rose, on top of growth in each of the previous three years. Public sector employment increased, continuing its recovery from cutbacks in the 1990s. Education led the way, as universities stepped up hiring.

Mining and oil and gas are dominated by large multinationals. With double-digit growth in these industries, and the public sector expanding steadily, large establishments (more than 500 employees) again drove employment gains, up 6%. Medium-sized employers (20 to 500 employees) were next with a 1.1% gain.

Small firms with less than 20 employees continued to lag, as they have for most of this decade. This is a reversal from the previous decade, when small firms dominated job growth, especially in the information and communication technology sector.

Jobs in small towns and rural areas rose 1.3% last year, comparable with the 1.4% gain in urban Canada. Rural employment has matched urban areas since 2001, after lagging at half their growth in the previous decade.

A look at which regions posted the largest job gains in 2005 confirms the recovery of rural areas. Northern Manitoba led the way with an increase of 10%. The region of Athabasca in Alberta was close behind, fuelled by the explosive development of its oil sands. The revival of mining helped the north and interior of British Columbia. Cape Breton led the Atlantic region in job growth, up 6.5%, the sixth best among the 68 regions. Rural Saskatchewan was helped by the rebound in farming.

The growth of rural regions was quite uneven, however, due to the cuts in the forestry sector. The closing of several lumber and paper mills was reflected in job losses in several rural areas of New Brunswick, Quebec and Northern Ontario.

Employment in cities last year was hampered by losses in those whose industrial base contracted. Toronto and Vancouver bucked the trend of weaker job growth in cities, with increases of over 2%.

The strength of the labour market was reflected in a sharp move from part-time to full-time employment, especially in Alberta and British Columbia where labour shortages emerged.

The shift to full time began after 2003: since then, full-time positions have risen 4%, while part-time jobs fell outright. All the drop in part-time jobs has been due to a one-third decline in people who could not find full-time work (from 145,000 in 2003 to 96,000 last year).

The growing presence of older workers continued in 2005. The number of workers aged 55 years and over rose by 6.2% last year, compared with a 0.7% increase for workers under 55 years.

While the share of older workers in the labour force would inevitably have risen as the first of the boomer generation turns 60 this year, the growth of older workers was given a further boost by the end of downsizing in resources, construction and the public sector. Now, these same industries are leading growth, especially for older workers.

The growing number of older people, combined with their increasing likelihood of staying in the labour force, has steadily driven up their contribution to overall job growth. Since 1996, the share of all job increases going to workers 55 years and over has risen steadily from 19% to 58% last year (it averaged less than 10% in the 1980s).

The distinguishing characteristic of the boomer generation in the labour market has always been their higher level of education compared with previous generations. This greater education is reflected in the proportion of people aged 55 to 64 with some post-secondary education, which rose from about one-quarter in 1990 to one-half last year as boomers moved into this cohort en masse.

Older workers increasingly have the education and skills coveted by employers. Since 1995, 94% of the increase in the number of people 55 and older had some post-secondary education. As a result, employers seeking workers with post-secondary qualifications had little choice but to look at older workers: nearly 40% of the better-educated were over 45 years old last year, nearly double their share in 1990.

The significance of the growing number of older people with higher education is that they are more likely to stay in the labour force and find a job. The participation rate of people aged 55 or more with some post-secondary education is nearly twice as large as for those with high school or less. They are also twice as likely to be employed, with an employment rate of 40% versus 21% for those with only high school or less.

In January, there were 1.44 online job ads per 100 persons in the U.S. labor force, compared to 1.09 in December and 1.21 in November.

Although the data series does not have sufficient history to allow for seasonal adjustments, Ken Goldstein, Labor Economist at The Conference Board, noted that a large portion of the declines in November and December followed by the bounce back in January reflect seasonal patterns seen in other employment data. The monthly figures reported in the Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series are the sum of the number of unduplicated new first-time online job ads for each day of the calendar month.

“The fact that the January number is back up to the higher level we saw in August 2005 indicates that the demand for labor is holding steady and seems to have weathered the hurricane and energy-related effects of last Fall,” says Goldstein. “The January online help-wanted ad volume is consistent with what we are seeing from the Consumer Confidence Survey. In January, consumers were more upbeat about current economic conditions, and they were especially more positive about the job market.”

Regional Area Results

January ad volume rose from the previous month in each of the nine census regions. The strongest month-over-month increases in ad volume were in the New England (40%) and West South Central (37%) regions. Other regions were in line with the one-third rise for the nation as a whole, with the East South Central and Mid Atlantic regions rising 34%, East North Central and the South Atlantic up 32%, and the Pacific and Mountain regions up 31% and 30%, respectively.

Denver Comes Out on Top Among All Metropolitan Areas

January’s ad volume was up over December levels in all of the 52 metropolitan areas for which data are reported separately. Denver with 3.44 job ads per 100 persons in the labor force had the highest volume of ads adjusted for the size of the local labor force. Other areas with the largest number of ads per 100 persons in the labor force include the west coast areas of San Francisco (3.21), San Diego (3.12) and Seattle (3.03). On the east coast, Boston with 2.97 ads per 100 in the labor force and Washington D.C. with 2.93 have the highest volume. Only two metropolitan areas out of the 52 areas had less than one ad per 100 persons in the labor force – Detroit (0.72) and Rochester, NY (0.89).

ABOUT THE NEW ONLINE JOB SERIES

The Conference Board Help-Wanted Online Data Series™ measures the number of new, first-time online jobs posted on more than 1,200 major Internet job boards and smaller job boards that serve niche markets and smaller geographic areas.

Like The Conference Board’s long running Help-Wanted Advertising Index of print ads (which has been published since 1951), the new online series is not a direct measure of job vacancies. The level of ads in both print and online may change for reasons not related to overall job demand.

The Conference Board, as a standard practice with new data series, considers the estimates in The Conference Board Help-Wanted OnLine Data Series™ to be developmental. As a not-for-profit business research organization, The Conference Board is publishing the early months of this series for use by the media, analysts, researchers and the business community. Persons using this data are urged to review the information on the database and methodology available on our website and contact the economists listed at the top of this release with questions and comments.

Background information and technical notes on this new series are available on The Conference Board’s website: http://www.conference-board.org/economics/helpwantedOnline.cfm.

The underlying data for this series is provided by Wanted Technologies, Inc. CareerBuilder, Inc. provides financial support for the series.

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Dear Premier McGuinty,

It is clear that the situation surrounding your Bill to reform the Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System (OMERS) has arrived at an unnecessary and dangerous standoff. I want to propose a way to take the heat out of this situation and maybe find a solution that doesn't lead to a strike or leave taxpayers without knowledge of the cost of these changes.

I have seen circumstances like this before during my career in business and the community where all sides dig in their heels and don't want to budge. It seemed this was the case yesterday at Queen's Park where both sides seemed to be drawing lines in the sand.

I understand you may feel that you cannot delay the OMERS Bill because it would look like you are backing down and CUPE may not want to call off their strike threat for the same reason.

It's time for everybody involved to take a deep breath and step back. Premier, I ask you today to convene a meeting with CUPE Ontario President Sid Ryan, Roger Anderson from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), representatives from the police and firefighters, Howard Hampton and myself to hammer out a better solution before this Bill is called back for third reading.

The committee process obviously did not fix the issues with this Bill despite all the amendments introduced, and I think what we now need to do is set aside the brinksmanship and come to a better conclusion.

Nobody should consider this a backdown or a victory - they should see this as responsible, competent government with all those affected working together to find a solution.

I look forward to your response.

Sincerely,

John Tory
Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader

cc: Roger Anderson, Association of Municipalities of Ontario
Sid Ryan, CUPE Ontario President
Howard Hampton, NDP Leader

In January, the average hourly wage rate was up 3.4% from 12 months ago, well ahead of the most recent year-over-year increase in the Consumer Price Index of 2.2%. Alberta continued to lead the nation with an increase of 7.4% in the average hourly wage rate compared to 12 months ago.

Note to readers

Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for the January 1987 to December 2005 period have undergone revisions. There are three reasons for the revision. First, the revision enables the use of improved population benchmarks in the LFS estimation process. These improved benchmarks provide better information on the number of non-permanent residents. There are also changes to the data for the public and private sectors from 1987 to 1999. In the past, the data on the public and private sectors for this period were based on an old definition of the public sector. The revised data better reflects the current public sector definition, and therefore result in a longer time series for analysis. Finally, the geographic coding of several small Census Agglomerations (CA) has been updated historically from 1996 urban centre boundaries to 2001 CA boundaries. This affects data from January 1987 to December 2004.

It is important to note that the changes to almost all estimates are very minor, with the exception of the public sector series and some associated industries from 1987 to 1999. Rates of unemployment, employment and participation are essentially unchanged, as are all key labour market trends.

Also note that the LFS seasonally adjusted estimates have been revised back to 1987.

The article "Improvements in 2006 to the LFS" (71F0031XIE, free) provides further explanation for the revisions and an overview of the effect of these changes on the estimates.

Revised historical data are now available on CANSIM. The revised data will also be available on the CD-ROM Labour Force Historical Review (71F0004XCB, $209), which will be released on February 20.

For further information, contact Client Services (613-951-4090; 1-866-873-8788; labour@statcan.ca), Labour Statistics Division.

More adult women working full time

Employment among adult women aged 25 and over increased by 35,000 in January, with strong gains in full time (+45,000). Their unemployment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 5.4%. Over the past 12 months, employment gains for this group have totalled 112,000 (+1.8%), entirely the result of full-time job growth.

Although little changed in January, there were 106,000 (+1.5%) more adult men working compared to 12 months ago. Just under three-quarters of this increase was in full-time work.

In January, there were 22,000 added part-time jobs among youths. However, this was offset by a similar decline in full time, leaving the year-over-year increase in youth employment at 2.1% or 51,000. More youths entered the labour market in January in search of work, pushing their unemployment rate up 0.5 percentage points to 12.4%.

More jobs in natural resources while manufacturing continues to lose ground

Employment in natural resources rose strongly, up 12,000 in January, with the largest increases occurring in Alberta and British Columbia. Employment in this industry has shown a strong upward trend with gains totalling 19.2% since the end of 2002, fuelled by strength in Alberta's oil and gas sector.

Public administration rose by 15,000 in January, with gains at the federal and municipal level. Temporary hiring for the recent federal election contributed to added employment in the industry.

The downward trend in the number of factory jobs continued in January with a decline of 42,000, mostly in Ontario. Since the end of 2002, employment in manufacturing has fallen by 8.2%. In January, the decline was concentrated in furniture and related products as well as in motor vehicle and parts. According to the most recent Business Conditions Survey for manufacturing industries, manufacturers were slightly more cautious in their outlook for the first quarter of 2006. Fewer new orders, a strong Canadian dollar and continued competition from foreign imports were some of the challenges facing manufacturers in recent months.

In January, employment in the private sector edged down 16,000. There was a gain of 42,000 in the public sector, with the largest increases in public administration and educational services. Compared to January 2005, public sector employment has increased by 4.6%, led by strong gains in educational services. Over the same period, the number of self-employed has grown by 2.4% while the number of private-sector employees edged up 0.7%.

Alberta labour market remains robust

Employment in Alberta increased by 10,000 in January, with gains in trade, construction, public administration as well as in natural resources. This latter sector continues to provide much of the spark in employment for the province as it has increased by 35.3% since the end of 2002. Over the past year, there have also been gains in professional, scientific and technical services (+22.3%), likely the result of strength related to the oil patch. In January, the unemployment rate in the province fell by 0.7 percentage points to 3.5%, the lowest in almost 25 years.

In Ontario, employment edged up 16,000 in January as an increase in part-time jobs was somewhat offset by declines in full time, bringing total gains from 12 months ago to 122,000 (+1.9%). The unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points in January to 6.5% as more people entered the labour force in search of work. Manufacturing continued to shed jobs in January (-33,000), bringing total losses since the end of 2002 to 93,000. In January, losses were spread across a number of manufacturing sectors.

Although little changed in January, employment in Quebec has increased by 78,000 (+2.1%) since May 2005 when the upward trend began. However, manufacturing employment has been weak with losses over the last three years totalling 71,000.

In January, employment in New Brunswick continued to increase (+3,000), the third consecutive monthly gain. The unemployment rate fell 0.7 percentage points to 8.9%. Recent employment increases more than offset losses earlier in the year, leaving gains since January 2005 at 2.5%, with strength coming from a number of industries.

Employment in Manitoba was up by 3,000 in January, bringing job growth in the province to 1.1% from 12 months ago. The unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage points to 4.3% due to an increase in the number of people entering the labour force.

In Saskatchewan, employment increased by 3,000 in January, causing the unemployment rate to edge down 0.1 percentage points to 5.2%. Despite more jobs in January, losses earlier in 2005 leave employment in the province slightly below the level from a year ago.

The past 30 years have seen tremendous growth in the United States in productivity and wealth, and yet we don’t seem very appreciative for what we have. In fact, Americans’ assessment of their level of happiness is declining significantly, according to the National Bureau of Economic Research. In 1957, 53 percent of Americans considered themselves “very happy.” By the early 1970s, only 34 percent expressed such satisfaction. Late in the 1990s, the number had dropped all the way down to 30 percent.

In 2005, the Economist Intelligence Unit released a quality of life index for 111 of the world’s countries. Although the United States is the second-richest country (in GDP per head), it has slipped to 13th in quality of life. What has gone wrong? Why aren’t Americans happier?

“Even though Americans tend to do well financially, many are unhappy in the workplace,” says Mette Norgaard, author of the international bestselling The Ugly Duckling Goes to Work: Wisdom for the Workplace from the Classic Tales of Hans Christian Andersen (Amacom, 2005). “If people are happy in the workplace, chances are they are happy overall. However, most of us feel trapped by mortgage, car, tuition, and credit card payments. We want a certain standard of living, and give up our freedom to pay for our way of life.” As the debt goes up, the courage goes down, and people worry more about fitting in than being happy. Norgaard has found a unique way to help us be more authentic and alive in our work, to find the workplace happiness we are all searching for.

For the first time ever, Norgaard has taken the stories of Hans Christian Andersen and applied them to the working world. She shows us how timeless stories can help us contemplate current dilemmas and make more thoughtful decisions. “There are plenty of self-improvement books out there, telling us how to do things,” says Norgaard. “But before we ask ‘how’ we must first think about why we do things. It’s important to raise questions about where we want to invest our time, our energy, and ultimately, our life.” That way we don’t try to have everything, and do everything, instead we aim for just the best thing.

Born and raised in Denmark, Norgaard feels a deep affinity for the original works of Hans Christian Anderson and is able to uncover the deep and sometimes controversial themes that are buried in fairytales like the Ugly Duckling, the Dung Beetle, and the Emperor’s New Clothes. As an executive coach and a strategy consultant who has worked with leaders from Microsoft, Intel, and Coca Cola, Norgaard combines her business perspective with her knowledge of Anderson’s fairytales for a truly unique perspective on the working world.

Only about one-third of employees at a typical company are fully engaged and daily “walk the talk” in their jobs, according a North American Right survey of 336 organizations. The remainder of employees are unsure of or disengaged from their employers’ missions and business strategies – leading to negative consequences such as lower productivity and product quality, more customer complaints, and higher turnover.

The biggest reason why most employees are disengaged is the failure of their employers to communicate their business strategies to all, according to the survey. 28% of surveyed organizations limit such communication to only their leadership teams. 24% have not yet communicated this to all employees, and 15% are uncertain of the best way to do this.

“Management’s effective communication of the vision of the business to all employees, and how it can be lived in their daily jobs, is one of the biggest differentiators between engaged and disengaged work forces,” said Cathy Simpson, Market Vice President for Right Management Consultants a transition and consulting firm based in Toronto . “Engagement and commitment improve dramatically when employees know what is expected of them, and how they fit into the total picture.”

Communication should comprise a two-way dialogue between management and employees. “Input, storytelling, recognition, and reward are critical elements in building an engaged work force. Employees should have opportunities to provide feedback and strategies to improve operations, and be recognized and rewarded for contributing to the organization’s success,” Simpson said.

Another way to improve employee engagement is to ensure that the organization’s managers are fully involved in and committed to their jobs, according to Simpson. “Many employees follow the actions and behaviors of their immediate supervisors, so having a fully committed management team is one of the best ways to extend engagement throughout the organization.”

OTTAWA, – The impact of globalization is now showing up at the bargaining table in Canada, as management becomes more militant and unions struggle to maintain their influence, according to the Conference Board’s Industrial Relations Outlook 2006: Shifting Ground, Shifting Attitudes.

“Globalization is transforming the dynamics of labour relations in Canada,” said Prem Benimadhu, Vice-President, Organizational Performance. “Faced with global competition, management is increasingly determined to hold its ground by demanding concessions or resorting to lockouts.

“Unions are faced with the difficult choice of accepting concessions or watching jobs go to lower-cost countries. At the same time, unions are looking to maintain their power by building the international labour movement in these same countries.”

Wage increases for unionized employees will average 2.5 per cent in 2006. The Conference Board does not expect significant labour disruptions this year. Nevertheless, labour relations remain strained. Many unions and employers are failing to work together to address fundamental business issues, such as productivity, employee engagement and investment in new technologies.

“Both parties will need to change their attitudes about how to conduct labour relations if they are to adjust to the shifting landscape wrought by globalization,” said Benimadhu.

New Board of Advisors for human resources firm - Additions strengthen Pivotal's growth prospects

Mississauga - Pivotal Integrated HR Solutions ("Pivotal"), announce the creation of a new Board of Advisors to counsel Pivotal's management on strategies and opportunities in the human resources solutions market and to provide input and critique on the Company's activities.

"Members of Pivotal's new Board of Advisors bring considerable technical and financial expertise to Pivotal and are expected to be valuable contributors to the development of the Company," said Stan Lewis, Chairman of Pivotal.  He adds, "We are pleased to have been able to attract such a diverse and high profile group of individuals. We look forward to the continued contribution of these executives."

 The new Pivotal Board of Advisors consists of James (Jim) G. Garland, Craig Graham, Edward J. J. Scheck, and Denis St. Amour.

 James (Jim) G. Garland

With over 25 years of corporate experience at companies such as GE, Jim Garland has held senior management positions including Director, International Marketing, President and CEO.  Jim has dedicated himself, in the last 15 years of his professional career, to identifying and investing in companies, which require his unique blend of managerial and financial resources to fully develop their significant growth potential.

Craig Graham

Craig Graham holds an Honours B.A. from York University.  He is currently Director of 21st Century Funds and sits on the investment committee of Private Equity Management Corporation. Craig is the former Chairman and CEO of Cashway Building Centres Ltd. and former Chairman and CEO of FRI Corporation and SmithBooks.  Previously he held the position of Chairman of both Illsley Bourbonnais Ward Howell International and Verity International Ltd.

Edward J. J. Scheck, B.S.B.A, C.A.

Ed Scheck is a graduate of Ryerson University and the University of Akron.  He has practiced accounting both internationally and in the Greater Toronto Area since 1974.  His practice focuses on owner-managed businesses and non-profit organizations, providing advice on business planning, financing, profitability and taxation.

As a member of T.E.C. (The Executive Committee), the Canadian Tax Foundation and the Turnaround Management Society, Ed has particular expertise helping businesses expand or manage challenging transitions.  Ed is involved with The Toronto Board of Trade, World Trade Centre Toronto, Ontario Chamber of Commerce and Ryerson University Faculty of Business.  He is a past Chair of The Toronto Board of Trade.  When he is not at work or a volunteer, Ed can be found on the golf course.

Denis St. Amour

Denis St. Amour's education has focused on Business, Economics and English. He has obtained executive governance training from Harvard University and has lectured at McGill University Management Institute.  Denis is also a member of ICD, The Institute of Corporate Directors.  He has extensive executive experience in corporate and entrepreneurial environments and NGO's ranging from start-up operations to large multi-national organizations.  Denis is currently the Board Chairman of World Vision International, a leading global charitable relief organization with revenues of over $2-billion (CAN).  Prior to this role, he was President of CEO, the "Center for Executive Options" a division of DBM Inc.  Denis was also President of DBM Canada Inc., a leading global career transition service, outplacement and change management consulting corporation.  Denis has been active in a number of Montreal-based community organizations including St. James Club of Montreal and the Canadian Club of Montreal.

Aligning employees to the strategy of their businesses, and engaging managers and senior leadership in communicating with workers, ranked as the top two employee communications challenges in an earlier survey by Right Management Consultants and the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) Research Foundation.

48% of organizations in that survey said their management has not effectively communicated their business strategies to employees and engaged them in living it in their daily jobs. As a result, only about one-third – 37% – of organizations reported that their employees are effectively aligned to the missions and visions of their businesses.

“It’s no coincidence that motivating and engaging employees and strategic employee communication are the most-desired senior management skills,” said Cathy Simpson, Market Vice President for Right Management Consultants of the Greater Toronto Area and Southwestern Ontario. “Our research shows these are the top two challenges facing businesses, and they want leaders who will help them change this. Companies with employees who understand and can carry out their employer’s business strategy tend to have higher worker retention rates and are generally more productive than those with disengaged work forces,” said Simpson.

The management skills organizations desire most in senior-level executives are:

Ability to motivate & engage others (62%)
Ability to create a performance organization (47%)
Ability to effectively communicate strategically & interpersonally (58%)
Commitment to developing people (45%)
Honesty and trustworthiness (43%)
Ability to think strategically (52%)
Developing an inspiring vision (42%)
Ability to lead change (51%)
Decisiveness (34%)

Right surveyed 168 organizations nationwide in the most recent survey. Among other findings of that survey were:

• 77% of companies do not have enough successors to their current senior-level managers already working in their organizations

• The biggest source of an organization’s future leaders has become their own high-potential employees. Companies are more frequently developing their own fast-track employees into future senior managers than they are promoting their current executives into upper management or recruiting leaders from outside their organizations,

 43% of companies are providing the necessary developmental training and coaching to their high-potential employees so they can acquire the requisite skills to become senior-level managers

 Only 29% are hiring executives who are currently at the same level as those they need away from their competitors, 27% are hiring executives with the skills and experiences they want from businesses other than their competitors, and 20% are hiring upper management from completely outside their industries.

In a study released last fall, Right and the IABC surveyed 472 organizations worldwide on the top employee communications challenges. The report, Best Practices in Employee Communication: A Study of Global Challenges and Approaches, is available as a soft-cover book. Retail price: US$49.60 (IABC members: US$40).