Employment Outlook

The employment outlook will be very good for Cooks (63200) in Prince Edward Island for the 2022-2024 period.

The following factors contributed to this outlook:

• Employment growth will lead to several new positions.
• A moderate number of positions will become available due to retirements.
• There are a moderate number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
• High employee turnover in this occupation could lead to additional employment opportunities.
• Due to the seasonal nature of this occupation, employment opportunities may vary depending on the time of the year.

The prospect for employment in this occupation is good as there continues to be a shortage of workers and unfilled vacancies in the province. Demand for workers is expected to increase over the forecast period.

Employers rely on the Temporary Foreign Worker program to fill temporary jobs/vacancies in this occupation when qualified Canadian labour is not available.

The majority of cooks are employed in food services, mainly in full-service restaurants, and to a lesser extent in limited-service restaurants. Other key employers include nursing care facilities and traveler accommodations such as hotels and resorts. 

Job prospects will therefore be better for candidates with substantial cooking experience. Although this is mostly an entry-level position and skilled trade certification is voluntary, individuals who have completed an apprenticeship or other culinary-related program may fare better in the job market, particularly in nursing care facilities. Individuals with several years’ experience preparing specific ethnic dishes will also have good job prospects given the growing cultural diversity in the province. Job openings for cooks can be seasonal with opportunities better in the summer months. Some cooks change jobs frequently, creating additional employment opportunities in this occupation. 

This trend is particularly evident in some rural areas where resorts and tourist facilities may only open for part of the year. Cooks may be required to work various shifts including evenings, weekends and holidays, therefore flexibility is an asset in securing employment. 

The aging of the population, the increasing number of single households and the rising participation of women in the labour force will continue to benefit the food services industry.

Here are some key facts about Cooks in Prince Edward Island:

• Approximately 1,000 people work in this occupation.
• Cooks mainly work in the following sectors:
  • Food services and drinking places (NAICS 722): 65%
  • Nursing and residential care facilities (NAICS 623): 11%
  • Hospitals (NAICS 622): 8%
  • Social assistance (NAICS 624): 6%
• The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
  • Full-time workers: 80% compared to 84% for all occupations
  • Part-time workers: 20% compared to 16% for all occupations
• 52% of cooks work all year, while 48% work only part of the year, compared to 59% and 41% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 39 weeks compared to 41 weeks for all occupations.
• Less than 5% of cooks are self-employed compared to an average of 13% for all occupations.
• The gender distribution of people in this occupation is:
  • Men: 50% compared to 51% for all occupations
  • Women: 50% compared to 49% for all occupations
• The educational attainment of workers in this occupation is:
  • no high school diploma: 17% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • high school diploma or equivalent: 40% compared to 28% for all occupations
  • apprenticeship or trades certificate or diploma: 7% compared to 11% for all occupations
  • college certificate or diploma or university certificate below bachelor’s: 28% compared to 25% for all occupations
  • bachelor’s degree: 7% compared to 17% for all occupations
  • university certificate, degree or diploma above bachelor level: less than 5% compared to 8% for all occupation

Source: Job Bank

Prevailing Wages