Aftermarket sees employment boost

The automotive repair and maintenance segment of the aftermarket saw above-average growth in 2021. Parts and accessories stores also saw a boost, but not nearly as much.

DesRosiers Automotive Consultants recently released data on yearly employment in the automotive industry. The sector as a whole — from manufacturers to dealers to repair and maintenance — saw an increase in employment of 4.3 per cent in 2021 when compared to 2020.

That puts about 639,600 people employed across the different automotive-related subsectors last year.

Automotive repair and maintenance saw the biggest jump of the bunch, up 5.7 per cent in 2021 compared to the year before. Employment in automotive parts and accessories were up 2.7 per cent.

All segments increased except for motor vehicle manufacturing, which dropped 1.3 per cent. Going back to 2019, DesRosiers noted, employment in this area is down 18.3 per cent.

“The motor vehicle manufacturing industry endured both structural change and the semiconductor shortage in 2021, while most of the rest of the auto industry saw employment make solid gains from the pandemic hit levels of 2020,” said Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers.

Dealers saw employment counts increase 5.3 per cent. This subsector employs the most people in the automotive space, according to the consultancy, at an average of 145,200 for the year.

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