General Office Clerks
1411 - General Office Clerks
Analytical text
Type of work
General office clerks prepare correspondence, reports, statements and other material, operate office equipment, answer telephones and perform clerical duties of a general nature according to established procedures.
For the full and official description of this occupation according to the National Occupational Classification (NOC), visit the NOC site.
Examples of Occupational Titles
General office clerk;
office assistant;
office clerk;
typist;
word processor operator.
Outlook
Job prospects in this occupation are fair
(Update: August 2010)
Over the past few years, the number of general office clerks has very sharply decreased. Office automation and the demand for more versatile office employees explain this sharp decrease.
Since these changes are already well established, the number of general office clerks should decrease significantly over the next few years, but at a much less spectacular pace than before.
Sources of employment
Despite the negative outlook, there will nonetheless be many job opportunities. They will arise partly from the need to replace office clerks who are retiring, but mostly from the high turnover rate in this occupation. Positions as general office clerks often serve as springboards for promotion in large companies where promotions are frequent (secretarial work, supervision, other administrative positions, etc).
Labour pool
These opportunities are available to college graduates of occupational training or people with office experience. Other positions will be filled by unemployed clerks with experience and by immigrants who meet the entrance requirements for the occupation. Although the percentage of immigrants in this occupation in 2006 was slightly lower than in all occupations (9% compared with 12%), positions are accessible to newcomers.
Industries
According to census data, in 2006 general office clerks worked in all industries especially in public administration (19%). For details, see the Areas section of the Statistics.
Trends
Job growth depends on the demand for written documents, the implementation of office automation and changes in work organization.
- Demand for written documents
Throughout the 70s and 80s, the demand for written documents and general growth in the service industry contributed to employment in this occupation. Even though the service industry and the demand for written documents continued to grow later on, this was not enough to offset office automation and changes in work organization.
- Implementation of office automation
Implementation of office automation led to a genuine revolution in administrative work. The use of various powerful specialized software packages considerably sped up and even eliminated much of the work of typists, who are part of this occupation. The production of large quantities of form letters and automated mailing lists are a few examples. Then, the use of email has reduced the need for photocopying and mail processing. Furthermore, these computer tools allow administrators and professionals to do for themselves much of the work formerly given to operators.
- Work organization
Computer tools make it possible to perform many tasks that were impossible to imagine before, from formatting to editing, to visual presentations, database management or processing of statistics. These many possibilities have led to increased requirements by employers and a higher demand for versatile rather than specialized office employees. Thus a single person may perform duties which historically were distributed among general office clerks, receptionists (see 1414), secretaries (see 1241) and accounting clerks (see 1431). This individual may even sometimes use Web page design and graphics software (see 5223 and 5241).
The need for versatility is not only due to office automation. To become more efficient and more flexible in work organization, employers seek candidates for all fields who have the necessary skills to perform many different duties. This occupation has been subject to this trend more than any other occupation This trend tend to foster employment for administrative clerks (see 1441), an occupation where the duties are more varied and include accounting and other tasks.
Considering the demand for more versatile office employees, the number of general office clerks will decrease significantly over the next few years, but at a much less spectacular pace than before.
Employment characteristics
According to census data, in 2006 women held appriximately 87% of the general office clerks positions. The annual employment income ($36,179) shown in the "Characteristics" section of the "Statistics" applies only to the 61% of people in this occupation who worked full time and full-year in 2005. The average employment income for those who did not work full time and full-year was $19,263 in 2005. In 2006 freelance work was infrequent (less than 3% compared with 11% for the average of all occupations) and was mainly found in small word processing businesses.
Requirements
Remaining positions are often at the entry level in large companies, therefore employers seek candidates who have qualities that will eventually lead them to administrative positions where greater versatility is required. They usually require good knowledge of major software used in office automation and knowledge of the administrative tasks this software helps to accomplish. Candidates must have excellent knowledge of French and grammar and have developed organizational skills. They must be polite, discreet and demonstrate great skill in interpersonal relationships. Knowledge of the Internet and email, as well as analytical and problem-solving skills are increasingly required. Most employers require at least functional bilingualism.
Education and Training
Entering this occupation requires at least secondary school graduation, and normally a college diploma in administration or a related area. A DEP in secretarial work and accounting or a DEC and an attestation of collegial studies (A.E.C.) in office system technology are the most relevant programs for entering this occupation and obtaining promotion to other better paying administrative positions.
Important Considerations
Considering the demand for more versatile office employees, the number of general office clerks should decrease significantly over the next few years.
Despite this negative outlook, there will nonetheless be a certain number of job opportunities. They will arise mostly from the high turnover rate in this occupation. General office clerk positions often are an entry into large companies where promotions are common (secretary, supervisor, other administrative positions, and so on).
1411 - General Office Clerks
Statistics
| Main Labour Market Indicators | 1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Employment, average 2007- 2009 | 15,050 | 3,859,200 |
| EI Claimants in 2009 | 2,650 | 168,350 |
| Average Annual Growth Rate 2010- 2014 | -1.6% | 0.9% |
| Annual Employment Variation 2010- 2014 | -250 | 36,650 |
| Annual Attrition 2010- 2014 | 450 | 122,850 |
| Total Annual Needs 2010- 2014 | 200 | 159,500 |
| Employment Distribution by Gender | 1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Males | 12.6% | 52.7% |
| Females | 87.4% | 47.3% |
| Employment Distribution by Age | 1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| 15- 24 years | 7.7% | 14.1% |
| 25- 44 years | 44.7% | 45.1% |
| 45- 64 years | 46.4% | 38.8% |
| 65 years and over | 1.2% | 2.0% |
| Employment Distribution by Status | 1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | 84.1% | 79.2% |
| Part-time | 15.9% | 20.8% |
| Average Annual Employment Income (Full-Time, Full-Year) |
1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time, full-year | 60.7% | 53.2% |
| Average income | 36,179 | 45,157 |
| 0- 19999$ | 7.8% | 16.5% |
| 20000- 49999$ | 80.3% | 52.4% |
| 50000$ and over | 11.8% | 31.1% |
| Employment Distribution by Highest Level of Schooling |
1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Less than high-school | 5.0% | 14.1% |
| High-school | 32.5% | 21.9% |
| Post-secondary | 50.7% | 43.1% |
| Bachelors | 11.8% | 20.9% |
| Employment Distribution by Region | 1411 | All occupations |
|---|---|---|
| Gaspésie-îles-de-la-Madeleine | 0.7% | 1.1% |
| Bas-St-Laurent | 1.9% | 2.5% |
| Capitale-Nationale | 10.4% | 9.1% |
| Chaudière-Appalaches | 4.4% | 5.4% |
| Estrie | 2.3% | 3.9% |
| Centre-du-Québec | 2.0% | 2.9% |
| Montérégie | 18.8% | 18.7% |
| Montréal | 25.5% | 24.1% |
| Laval | 5.8% | 5.0% |
| Lanaudière | 5.4% | 5.8% |
| Laurentides | 6.4% | 7.0% |
| Outaouais | 8.6% | 4.7% |
| Abitibi-Témiscamingue | 1.2% | 1.8% |
| Mauricie | 2.7% | 3.1% |
| Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean | 2.6% | 3.3% |
| Côte-Nord-Nord du Québec | 1.4% | 1.7% |
| 1411 | All occupations | |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Distribution by Self-employment | 2.5% | 11.2% |
| 1411 | All occupations | |
|---|---|---|
| Employment Distribution by Immigration | 8.9% | 12.2% |
| Main Areas of Employment | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Public Administration | 18.8% |
| Trade | 12.1% |
| Manufacturing | 10.6% |
| Finance and Insurance | 9.2% |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 8.1% |
| Health Care and Social assistance | 7.6% |
| Educational Services | 6.7% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 4.9% |