People in Alberta and Saskatchewan are going to see a lot more help wanted signs.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Business the job vacancy rate in Alberta rose to 2.2 per cent during the 3rd quarter which means 33,900 jobs are open. In Saskatchewan the rate has risen to 2.4 per cent or 8,200 jobs.

According to the CBC, construction agency Pathfinder Recruitment Group says it seems skilled workers left Alberta when the recession hit and are concerned about coming back.

The trend is consistent across Canada. 361,700 jobs are unfilled, which is the highest number of unfilled private sector jobs ever recorded.  British Columbia has the highest job vacancy rate percentage at 3.4 per cent or 60,000 jobs. Ontario has the most empty job spaces with 149,600.

The CFIB report says the retail industry is experiencing the highest shortage nationwide at 50,000 unfilled jobs. It is followed by the hospitality and construction industries with 45,900 and 38,000 respectively.