Clerical Occupations, General Office Skills (NOC 141)

What They Do General office clerks key in, edit, proofread, and finalize reports/correspondence. They attend to phone, electronic, and counter questions; open/sort mail, by hand or by computer; and perform other routine office duties. Word processors use word-processing programs to format/type documents. They also proofread documents and perform other duties such as photocopying/filing. Records clerks process, code, classify, store, and retrieve documents using computerized or manual information retrieval systems. Health records technicians classify, code, cross-reference, and store health records/related data in hospitals, clinics, and other health care institutions. Receptionists greet people, schedule appointments, provide information, and perform related clerical duties.

Where They Find Work —    Top Occupational Areas Health care and social assistance 17% Public administration 14% Finance and insurance 8% Retail trade 6% Wholesale trade 5% Educational services 5% Administrative and support waste management and remediation services 5% People in this group work in business/government. The unionization rate (26%) is close to the average (32%) for all occupations. The highest concentrations (per 10,000 people) of Clerical Occuaptions, General Office Skills are found in Alberta and Manitoba while the lowest concentrations are in Quebec and Newfoundland.

Related Occupation(s) Customer Service, Information and Related Clerks (NOC 1453) Library, Correspondence and Related Information Clerks (NOC 145) Administrative Support Clerks (NOC 144)

Something to Think About To enhance your professional knowledge and broaden your opportunities, consider: Assessing new office equipment/ software programs Maintaining office machinery Learning how to build and maintain customer relations

Use the "Where They Find Work" graph to target your worksearch. It may be easier to get into industries with the most people in this field. Want to work in an industry that hires fewer workers in this field? To be more marketable, check out whether you have the most up-to-date knowledge and technology skills for that industry. Check the provincial/territorial or local information (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca) for opportunities in your area.

What You Need In general, you need a high school diploma and may need to complete additional training related to your area of work. To be a health records technician, you need a two- to three-year college or other program in health records management and certification from the Canadian Health Record Association which allows you to work in all provinces/territories. To be a receptionist, you may need to be bilingual or multilingual to perform your duties. Most recent entrants have a community college diploma, and almost 3 in 10 have an undergraduate unversity degree

Required/Related    Educational Programs* This will let you explore the program(s) of study that lead to this (these) occupation(s). Institutional Management (C131) Secretary - General (Office Administration) (C151) Secretary - Legal (Office Administration) (C152) Accounting (T110) *  These educational programs are listed in the order in which they are most likely to supply graduates to this occupation.

Useful Experience/Skills Computer literacy Team work Organizing/retrieving information		Useful High School Subjects English Math Computer Basics
Depending on your background, this Education, Training, and Experience info will help you to: Choose your high school courses Plan your post-secondary program Choose relevant volunteer work Decide what new skills to learn Read job ads, professional journals, and newspapers for what the industry needs and employers want. Talk to employers and employees to find out the exceptional skills and knowledge that will help you land a job.

Current Conditions Your work prospects are rated LIMITED because: Employment grew at an average rate. Hourly wages ($13.53) are below the average ($18.07), and the rate of the wage growth is close to the average. The unemployment rate (5%) is close to the 2004 average (7%).

Work Prospects Current   Limited   2009   Limited

Outlook to 2009 Your work prospects will continue to be LIMITED because: The employment growth rate will likely be below average because new technologies/office automation should allow companies to do more with fewer workers. Although the retirement rate will likely be average, the number of retiring workers should contribute to job openings. The number of job seekers will likely match the number of job openings.

Preparing for the Competition You'll be competing with school-leavers/unemployed workers. You're more likely to succeed if you have computer skills.

If you are beginning your career investigation, national outlooks will give you a good overview of trends. Ready to explore an occupation in more detail? Check provincial/territorial or local outlooks (http://www.labourmarketinformation.ca).

What you can expect to make (Average Hourly Earnings ($/hour))
Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 $10.93 $11.74 25-54 $14.53 $19.76 55+ $14.34 $19.59 Overall Average for Ages (20+) This Occupation All Occupations $13.53 $18.07		Hourly wages ($13.53) are below the national average ($18.07). These earnings are below average for occupations in the business, finance and administration sector and are below average for all intermediate occupations. These wages grew at an average rate from 2002 to 2004.
Your salary can be affected by your background, the company's size and benefits, and the region and setting (urban or rural). Check out salaries in your own region by seeking info from: Employees/unions/associations Employers/human resource people Training institutions and placement services Company websites Professional/trade journals

Close to the average
The unemployment rate (5%) is close to the 2004 average (7%). This rate is close to the average for intermediate occupations. A low unemployment rate often means less competition for the jobs available. But you still need to have the required training and experience. A high unemployment rate doesn't necessarily mean you'll have great difficulty getting hired. But it can mean a fluctuating demand for workers, and you may experience bouts of unemployment.		Year This Occupation All Occupations 1991 9% 10% 1992 8% 11% 1993 8% 11% 1994 8% 10% 1995 7% 10% 1996 7% 10% 1997 6% 9% 1998 5% 8% 1999 6% 8% 2000 5% 7% 2001 5% 7% 2002 6% 8% 2003 6% 8% 2004 5% 7%

% of Part-time work is above average
This Occupation All Occupations Full-time 71% 81% Part-time 29% 19%		There were 259,600 workers employed in these occupations in 2004, a decrease of 34% since 1997. The percentage of part-time workers (29%) is above the 2004 average (19%) and has dropped since 1997.
When full-time work is difficult to find, look at alternatives such as contract work, consulting, shared positions, and telework.

Below average
The percentage of self-employed workers (2%) is below the 2004 average (15%) and has dropped significantly since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Self-Employed 2% 15%
Does this occupation have an above-average rate of self-employment? Consider being your own boss if you can't find work with an employer.

Age Group This Occupation All Occupations 20-24 14% 10% 25-54 66% 72% 55+ 13% 12%		The retirement rate to 2009 will likely be average reflecting the age/retirement structure of the occupation.
Look at the youngest group. A low percentage means fewer openings for brand-new workers. A high percentage means more openings for brand-new workers. Look at the oldest age group. A high percentage means positions could open up from retirements. This could be significant for both mid-career changers and brand-new workers.

Above average
The percentage of women (91%) is above the 2004 average of 48% and has dropped since 1997.		This Occupation All Occupations Percent Women 91% 48%

This page last modified on: 2007-03-31