Evaluation of Learning and Labour Market Information disseminated through Job Bank summary

About the Program

Job Bank is the Government of Canada’s free and bilingual website that helps connect Canadian employers and job seekers across the country. In addition to job matching services, Job Bank also provides a wealth of labour market information to assist businesses looking to hire, and individuals looking for work. It offers users occupational and career information such as current job opportunities, educational requirements, wages, current labour force trends, and outlooks.

Data collection

The evaluation is based on data collection in 2016 from multiple sources, including the following:

• A pop-up survey was used to ask visitors of the Job Bank website to answer a few questions about their experience using the site
• Web analytics were used to track and collect information on the usage patterns and preferences of Job Bank website users

Key findings

In 2014, learning and labour market information was consolidated through a single-window, the Job Bank website, providing easy access for Canadians to use that information in making education and labour market decisions. Overall, the evidence suggested that the learning and labour market information provided by the Government of Canada addresses the demonstrated needs of Canadians.

With more than 5 million visits to the site per month, Job Bank helps its users in a variety of ways:

• About 70% of job seekers were satisfied with the job postings on Job Bank
• More than two-thirds of job seekers who are aware and use the information on career planning and labour market trends found it useful
• About 60% of employers indicated it is the primary place where they post job vacancies
• Almost 70% of employers with Job Bank accounts were satisfied with the website and the services received with respect to posting a job

Recommendations

1. Improvement to the promotion of the Job Bank website and its products among its users (especially among students, youth and their influencers) should be made
2. Various target groups using Job Bank would benefit from information adapted to their specific needs
3. More information reflecting local realities would further provide users with enhanced tools for decision making
4. Employers would benefit from more timely and customizable job posting services to meet their hiring needs
5. User feedback and client satisfaction should continuously be considered to improve quality and relevancy of the information

Evaluation reports are available on Employment and Social Development Canada’s website.