Features
Operations & Management
Paper
Pulp
R&R Survey 2024: Results now live!
October 17, 2024 By Sarah Sobanski
Photo: Adobe Stock stock image, paper mill, pulp mill, hard hats, workersIn its third Recruitment and Retention Survey (R&R Survey 2024), Pulp & Paper Canada put a call out to industry to check in on efforts to retain, reskill and recruit labour as the industry shifts and changes.
Nearly 100 mill owners, managers, workers, and in some cases, retirees or related professionals, weighed in on how industry is evolving.
Managers offered insight into how they’re hiring, training and investing in their workforce, and what challenges and opportunities they face.
Workers revealed how they’re finding work, what barriers they face and their concerns for entering or staying in the industry.
Live today, readers can see industry trends pulled from our data, including special news articles focusing on educational recruitment, Â wages, growth challenges and insight into incoming jobs and where best to find people to fill them.
Industry snapshot
Just shy of 80% of survey respondents said they were currently employed at a mill in Canada. A third of them worked at mills in British Columbia, followed by 20% at mills in Atlantic Canada and 18% at mills in Alberta.
Smaller groups reported working in mills in Ontario, Manitoba, Quebec and Saskatchewan.
The majority of respondents worked at larger mills across the country, producing everything from kraft pulp to BCMTP, tissue to containerboard, and more.
About half reported their mills employed more than 400 people, followed by about a quarter who said their mills employed between 300 and 399. The rest said they worked at mills that employed 299 people or less.
Though most preferred not to say the approximate revenue of their company, just shy of 5% estimated it at $2 billion or more. About a third of respondents put that number more likely below $1 billion with about 10% each reporting revenues at between $25- and $100 million, $100- and $499 million, and $500- and $999 million.
Respondents said the majority of workers at their mills were between 35 and 54.
About 50% of them reported being in mid-level positions, including managers or supervisors. An additional 17% said they were senior managers or directors, and 13% said they were in human resources.
Just 1% of respondents identified as mill owners.
Here’s links to our articles so far:
- R&R Survey 2024: Recruitment needs to start in high schools, says forest educator
- R&R Survey 2024: Replacing retirees a major challenge for pulp, paper
- R&R Survey 2024: Pulp, paper industry workers make 30% more than the average Canadian
- R&R Survey 2024: Recruiters seeking to fill gaps as mill jobs evolve
Readers can also have a look back at our last two surveys and see how the industry has changed over the last five years:
- R&R Survey 2024: Looking back to Pulp & Paper Canada’s pandemic era survey
- R&R Survey 2024: Looking back to Pulp & Paper Canada’s first survey
Stay tuned for more results and our following coverage as we dive deeper, investigate and discuss our results with industry professionals in the coming months and future issues.
Pulp & Paper Canada’s R&R Survey 2024 couldn’t be possible without your invaluable input. Thanks to everyone who participated, and if you missed it, be sure to give your 2 cents the next time around!
Print this page