Talk with shop owners and jobbers and many will tell you they’re still struggling to find staff. However, the picture has brightened, according to DesRosiers Automotive Consultants.
The group reported that both automotive parts and accessories stores and automotive maintenance and repair are above pre-pandemic employment levels.
“The automotive aftermarket continued to prove its strength,” DesRosiers said in a recent analysis.
Parts and accessories store employment was up 9.6 per cent in June compared to the same time last year. Repair and maintenance saw a 5.7 per cent increase over the same time. Both are now above pre-pandemic levels.
While dealers saw a 3.1 per cent increase in employment in June, they’re still 5.7 per cent back of June 2019 employment counts.
Motor vehicle parts and accessories wholesale saw a 10.5 per cent decline in June with metalworking machinery manufacturing seeing a smaller 1.6 per cent decline.
“While the sector overall has yet to recover fully to pre-COVID levels of employment, key parts of the auto industry have seen significant growth,” said Andrew King, managing partner at DesRosiers. He continued “However, between labour disputes, a potential recession and lingering inventory concerns, plenty of variables remain in play that could disrupt the pace of recovery.”
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