Canadian National Railway has posted nearly 100 job opportunities in Saskatchewan, several years after demand slowed and layoffs hit the company.

Patrick Waldron, spokesperson for CN, said the company is in the process of hiring employees across Canada, with a focus on the west.

By the end of the year, CN will have hired 3,500 employees and expects to hire at least 2,000 more next year.

Waldron said the openings come after a number of scheduled retirements, layoffs and increased demand.

"Due to the strong and recovering economy across Canada, new business is coming CN's way and some of these positions are attributable to very strong economic conditions," he said.

In early 2016, CN said that its workforce decreased by nine per cent, or 2,300, the year before.

The railway had on average 23,183 employees at the end of the latest quarter, including 16,346 in Canada and 7,082 in the United States.

In October, CN said it is on track to see profits grow as demand has continued to increase after six quarters of decrease.

Good news for Melville, Sask.

The company is now looking mainly for conductors, which Waldron said are the key crew members on CN trains.

Warren Kaeding, MLA for Melville-Saltcoats, said CN reached out to let him know about the job openings in advance.

He was told that 40 jobs have been posted in Melville, with another 30 in Saskatoon, 14 in Humboldt, six in North Battleford and one in Canora.

"Anytime you can bring 40 jobs to an area, it's going to be significant. I was very excited," Kaeding said. "With the resource sector being the way it is, things are kind of just sitting stagnant. Everybody's kind of waiting for something to happen and this is certainly a big step."

Kaeding said he immediately called the mayor of Melville and the chamber of commerce president to discuss how to help the company fill the positions.

CN has a significant facility in Melville, which Kaeding said covers switching, fuelling and rail car accumulation.