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Material Handlers  (NOC 7452)
Lethbridge--Medicine Hat Region
Description |  Titles |  Duties |   Related Occupations

This unit group includes workers who handle, move, load and unload materials by hand or using a variety of material handling equipment. They are employed by transportation, storage and moving companies, and by a variety of manufacturing and processing companies and retail and wholesale warehouses.

bin filler, coal handler, conveyor console operator, forklift truck operator, freight handler (except air transport), furniture mover, lumber piler – building supplies, material handler, railway car loader, stockpiler, storage worker – material handling, truck loader, warehouseman/woman.

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Material handlers (manual) perform some or all of the following duties:
  • Load, unload and move products and materials by hand or using basic material handling equipment
  • Move household appliances and furniture onto and off moving trucks or vans
  • Set up rooms for events, dismantle moveable walls and partitions, and organize or set up office furniture
  • Perform other material handling activities such as counting, weighing, sorting, packing and unpacking.
Material handlers (equipment operators) perform some or all of the following duties:
  • Operate winches and other loading devices to load and unload materials onto and off trucks, railway cars and loading docks of warehouses and industrial establishments
  • Operate industrial trucks, tractors, loaders and other equipment to transport materials to and from transportation vehicles and loading docks and to store and retrieve materials in warehouses
  • Connect hoses or pipes and operate equipment to load and unload liquid petroleum, chemical or other products into or from tank cars, tank trucks or storage tanks
  • Operate equipment to dump materials such as coal, ore and grain into or to remove materials from railway cars, trucks or other vehicles
  • Operate conveyors and equipment to transfer grain or other materials from transportation vehicles to elevators, bins or other storage areas
  • May perform other activities, such as opening containers and crates, filling warehouse orders, assisting in taking inventory and weighing and checking materials.
Included Cities in Region | Service Canada Offices

Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Bassano, Bow Island, Brooks, Cardston, Claresholm, Coaldale, Coalhurst, Fort Macleod, Magrath, Nanton, Picture Butte, Pincher Creek, Raymond, Redcliff, Taber

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View a list of Service Canada offices in this area.

Outlook & Prospects for Material Handlers in Lethbridge--Medicine Hat Region

The future forecast and current conditions for an occupation can vary based on location or due to changes in the economy, technology, or demand for a product or service.

National Outlook – 10-Year Projection (2011-2020)

This section provides labour demand and labour supply projections for this occupation over the 2011-2020 period.

Note: The tables, graphs and middle paragraph shown under this section display updated 2011-2020 projection results. The remaining narrative text (2009-2018 projections) will be updated shortly. We apologize for the inconvenience.

The data in the following table are derived from HRSDC’s Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS). COPS uses a variety of models to produce a detailed 10-year labour market projection per broad skill level and per occupation at the national level, which focuses on the trends of labour supply and labour demand over the next ten years.

This occupation (Material Handlers) is part of a larger occupational group called Longshore Workers and Material Handlers (NOC 745).

Table on the demographic profile for your chosen occupation at the national level.
Occupations in this group Longshore Workers (7451) 
Material Handlers (7452) 
Employment (non-student) in 2010 178,002
Median Age of workers in 2010 37
Average Retirement Age in 2010 63

Occupation Projection for Canada

Over the 2008-2010 period, this occupation experienced a drop in employment while its unemployment rate, already high, increased more quickly than the average for all occupations. The average hourly wage, one of the lowest for all occupations, increased at the same rate as the wage for other occupations. According to key labour market indicators, the number of job seekers was more than sufficient to fill the job openings in this occupation.

Over the 2011-2020 period, an occupation will be in excess demand (a shortage of workers) if the projected number of job openings is significantly greater than the projected number of job seekers. An occupation will be in excess supply (a surplus of workers) if the projected number of job openings is smaller than the projected number of job seekers. For Longshore Workers And Material Handlers, over the 2011-2020 period, job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 76,358 and 69,507 job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill the job openings.

Based on projections and considering that there was a surplus of workers in this occupation over the 2008-2010 period, it is expected that this occupation will continue to have a surplus of labour supply. In other words, the number of job seekers will continue to be sufficient to fill the job openings over the 2011-2020 period. The majority of job openings in this occupation will result from retirements. Although retirements will be the main contributor to job openings over the projection period, the retirement rate in this occupation will be relatively low because workers in this occupation tend to be younger than those in other occupations. Employment growth will also be a significant source of job openings. With regard to labour supply, the vast majority of job seekers will come from the school system. However, as in the past, immigration will also account for a large number of job seekers.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.

This Chart contains data for Projection of Job Openings vs. Job Seekers for Canada. Information is available in the following tables.
Table of job opening projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category Openings %
Expansion Demand 28,232 37%
Retirements 38,657 51%
Other Replacement Demand 5,380 7%
Emigration 4,090 5%
Projected Job Openings 76,358 100%
Table of job seeker projections for the occupational group containing your chosen occupation.
Category Seekers %
School Leavers 62,489 90%
Immigration 16,592 24%
Other -9,574 -14%
Projected Job Seekers 69,507 100%
[ Source: Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS) ]

In which industry or sector do people in this occupation find jobs in Canada?

This table shows the industry and sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.

This table shows the industry sectors employing the highest number of people in this occupation.
Industry / Sector %
Manufacturing 29.60
Wholesale trade 20.40
Transportation and warehousing 18.60
Retail trade 15.40
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services 4.90
[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are self-employed?

The graph displays the percentage of people in this occupation who are “self-employed”, according to the 2006 Census, in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

As shown in the graph, according to the 2006 Census, 1% of people in this occupation were self-employed, while the average for all occupations was 12%.

The data from the Labour Force Survey (2009) regarding self-employment for this group are not sufficiently reliable to be published.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What proportion of people in this occupation work full-time and part-time?

The graph displays the proportion of people in this occupation who worked full-time and part-time in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), 86% of workers in this occupation worked full-time, compared to the average of 81% for all occupations.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What proportion of men and women work in this occupation?

The graph displays the proportion of men and women in this occupation in comparison to the Canadian average across all occupations.

According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), women represented 18% of workers in this occupation, compared to the average of 48% for all occupations.

[ Source: 2006 Census - Statistics Canada / Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]

What percentage of people in this occupation are members of a union?

This occupation (Material Handlers) is part of a larger group called Longshore Workers and Material Handlers (NOC 745). According to the Labour Force Survey (2009), the unionization rate for this group was 34%, while the unionization rate for all occupations was 31%.

[ Source: Labour Force Survey - Statistics Canada | Legal note ]
Please consult the Lethbridge--Medicine Hat Region and Alberta tabs for more useful information related to outlook.