The number of employers responding to the Four County Labour Market Planning Board's EmployerOne survey is up nearly 50%.
Executive Director Gemma Mendez-Smith says over 700 employers across their catchment area filled out the survey on workforce needs, including 121 businesses from Bruce County.
She says the survey identified that employers are struggling to find skilled workers, as 69% of responding Bruce County employers feel the availability of skilled workers is fair-to-poor.
Mendez-Smith says there's a feeling that employers and employees are not on the same page.
"I feel there's a disconnect between what the employers are expecting and what employees expect in a workplace," says Mendez-Smith. "I feel as service providers in the community and as a community, we need to do a better job closing that gap."
Of the 121 responding Bruce County employers, 81 reported hiring a combined total of 455 people in 2016, though more than half of those positions were seasonal, which Mendez-Smith suggests is a reflection of Bruce County's large tourism industry.
Mendez-Smith says 25% of employers reported having positions vacant for more than a year in hard-to-fill areas, which include sales, cooks and general labour.
