The healthcare sector in Canada has shown phenomenal growth over the last few years. However, some sub-sectors within the healthcare sector have more job vacancies, and Community Support Workers is one of them. This blog talks about the long-term impact of higher public sector investments on the healthcare sector in general, and Community Support Workers in particular.
Pandemic And Its Impact on Canadian Health Sector
When the pandemic struck,countries all over the world not only had to take immediate measures to contain the virus but also allocated more resources than they were already spending on their healthcare systems. The world entered into a new era in which the significance of the healthcare sector has become paramount. In fact, so important that states started looking at it as a major component of national security.
After the pandemic, Canada also started investing in the health sector. The healthcare sector was among the top three priorities of the Canadian government apart from providing immediate support to individuals and businesses when it announced its Economic Response Plan on the pandemic measures.
The number of jobs in the healthcare sector doubled in Canada from 2020 to 2023, which means that the demand for jobs in healthcare remained higher than the supply. There were 30,800 (or 25.7% of all health care vacancies) job vacancies for Community Support Workers and 21,360 job vacancies for Mental Health Workers all over Canada by 2022-23, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information.
Growing Importance of the Health Sector in Canada
The demand for healthcare workers was already high before the pandemic, however; a significant shift came when Canada decided to significantly increase public spending in the healthcare sector. New public sector investments continued to pour in the first three years of the pandemic. However, the most significant investment in the healthcare sector in the last two decades came in 2023 when the Canadian government allocated an additional $46.2 billion in funding in the 2023 budget to provinces and territories, according to the Canadian Medical Association.
In addition to federal support, provinces are also allocating additional public funding to cater to the rising shortages of healthcare workers. Similarly, the federal and provincial/territorial governments agreed to a new plan in 2023 to provide $196.1 billion in additional health funding over the next ten years. These massive investments will be used to construct new hospitals, expanding the current hospitals and other public-private sector collaborations. Since Community Support Workers are a crucial part of any healthcare facility whether they are in the public or private sector, more government spending means more job creation in the healthcare sector.
Why More Public Sector Investments Means More CSW Jobs
With over 2 million workers by 2021, health care was the second largest employer of the Canadian economy, behind retail trade, according to the Government of Canada data. Not only is the size of the healthcare sector one of the largest in Canada, but it is also heavily supported by public spending (federal as well as provincial governments). This also means that this sector is fairly immune to the cyclical fluctuations in the job market due to economic slowdown or recessions, making this sector ideal when it comes to career stability. So if you are looking for a career as a Community Support Worker there is a very high possibility that you are not going to face any market saturation for several years in the future.
In a free market economy such as Canada, the private sector takes the lead in creating new jobs in the country. However, when governments allocate funds for any particular sector, that sector produces additional jobs as government funding not only meets the market demand but also encourages the private sector to invest more in the country. Therefore, the cycle of positivity that starts with additional government investments ends up creating more economic opportunities in the sector.
It is expected that the healthcare expenditure will continue to grow in upcoming years because Canada is not only aging but its population is also growing in record numbers. For instance, the Canadian population is now over 41 million as the country added a record 2 million residents in 2023 and 2024, which means a 1% increase in population each year. To put these figures in context, this is among the fastest population growth rates in the industrialized nations of the world.
Conclusion
The Canadian health sector is going through exciting times. The challenges that the Canadian government faced just after the pandemic are now gradually subsiding. This means that the government is in a much better situation to not only plan for long-term targets but also allocate more money to the healthcare sector to meet the growing needs of the country. The Canadian economy is also doing well despite post-pandemic economic upheavals. As discussed earlier, there are over 30,000 job vacancies for Community Support Workers which makes up a massive 25% of all job vacancies in the healthcare sector. Community Support Workers play an important role in the overall healthcare sector of Canada, which is also being recognized by the government, especially in the context of a pandemic.
Join Community Support Worker Diploma Program at Edison College
If you want to be part of the growing healthcare industry and feel that you can make a difference in society as a Community Support Worker then take a look at Edison College’s 8-month diploma program in Community Support Worker: Addictions and Mental Health Specialization. This Community Support Worker Program – Online Course will provide you with the knowledge and skills necessary to become a successful Community Support Worker. You will also gain valuable experience through our practicum placement opportunities.
Contact us today to learn more. Read more industry-related blogs here.
By Farhan Zaheer
