As the global shutdown and travel slowdown wreaks havoc on hospitality and travel companies worldwide, there are more examples of suffering in the airline business fast emerging. 

Air Canada ($TSX:AC) job postings hit a 2020 high of 81 in February, only to decline in late March, as it became increasingly apparent airlines wouldn't be back to full operational schedules anytime soon. Canada has a 30-day restriction on non-essential travel, which came into effect March 21 - so once it's lifted, there's a reasonable chance the airline will see a bounce-back in hiring. 

Air Canada isn't alone, of course. We've previously covered United Continental ($UAL), which was one of the first companies in the space to react to the slowing demand for travel. United slashed job postings more than 73% at first and then kept going later this month, reducing job postings to one (1) job posting at last tally. 

And JetBlue ($JBLU) did the same as its bigger US competitors, reducing job postings from more than 100 to one single opening as of the last count. 

In many industries, the reduction of job postings to just about nil might be regarded as a canary in a coal mine. But it's increasingly clear most, if not all, US-based airlines will be the recipient of some form of government support, and Canada's government may follow.

Which means that the drastic pullback in job postings isn't meant to reflect the end of a business' growth prospects - in fact, the eventual rebound, and the degree to which hiring at each airline bounces back, may turn into a barometer on the industry's health at large. 

About the Data:

Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales. 

Further Reading: 

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