January 12th, 2023
Moncton (NB) â Greater Monctonâs business community has once again cited difficulty finding skilled labour and social issues as key priorities heading into 2023.
A survey of members conducted in mid-December by the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton shows business owners are once again increasingly focused on filling labour needs and addressing social issues within the community as critical to continued growth and prosperity.
The survey asked CCGM members to identify their biggest challenge to business growth. âDifficulty Finding Employees with the Right Labour Skillsâ was the leading response at 32 per cent. âInflation and Rising Interest Ratesâ came in second at 15 per cent.
Fifty-one per cent of all respondents claimed they had a shortage of skilled workers, and 47 per cent found it difficult to recruit and retain employees.
âThe survey results show the need for all levels of government to focus on labour attraction and retention, and to address the growing social issues in our downtown,â Chamber CEO John Wishart said.
Three separate survey questions asked what the biggest priority should be for the three levels of government. Municipally, 54 per cent listed âHomelessness & Securityâ as the main priority, followed by 20 per cent for âHousingâ and finally, at a tie of seven per cent âDowntown Developmentâ and âRemoving Red Tape for Businessesâ.
Provincially, 36 per cent of respondents chose to prioritize âInvesting in Health Care and Educationâ, âHomelessness and Securityâ came in second at 18 per cent and finally âHousingâ at 13 per cent.
Federally, the top three issues were âHomelessness and Securityâ at 24 per cent, âLowering business taxes and feesâ at 18 per cent, closely followed by âSupport for Small Businessâ at 15 per cent.
âAs we hopefully turn the page from the pandemic, our business community faces new challenges related to inflation, rising interest rates, finding workers, and ensuring affordable housing for those workers,â Wishart stressed.
The survey, conducted over a two-week period, elicited responses from 114 CCGM members. It is not a scientific survey with a margin of error but a snapshot of the opinion within the Greater Moncton business community.
The Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton surveys its members each year on local and provincial economic trends and important public policy issues.
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