Job Opportunities and Employment in Canada

A closer look at the employment landscape in Canada for anyone considering finding work abroad or specifically going to live in Canada

Unlike the US economy, the Canadian economy is continuing to show steady patterns of robust development – we’ll refrain from going further in talking positively about Canada’s fiscal situation however, because at the time of writing growth is predicted to be in the region of only about 0.6% in 2008.  However, this is more positive than many economies around the world, and the other factor in Canada’s favour is that there has been strong employment growth particularly in central Canada so far in 2008.

So, if you’re looking for an exit from the UK’s gloomy economic, employment and physical climate, Canada could be a consideration for you.  The nation has seen a growth in terms of its popularity with British emigrants in recent years, and this has a great deal to do with the relatively affordable state of the Canadian real estate market, its strong employment landscape, the raising of international awareness about the standard and quality of living in Canada, and the fact that Canada is keen to welcome skilled immigrants.

If you’re interested in finding out about job opportunities and employment in Canada, the good news is that you’re taking a well-recommended path to gaining residency permission if you actively look for work before you move to Canada.  In this article we’ll look at job opportunities, finding a job and work permits.

The unemployment rate in Canada has fallen to 6.1% with the five provinces of Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan having accounted for an overall employment increase in September 2008.  If you’re looking for work in Canada and you’re not dead set on where you want to live, try targeting these provinces in your search for employment.  In terms of the industries in Canada currently reporting employment opportunity gains, they include health care and social assistance, transportation, warehousing, agriculture and construction.  If you’re skilled, qualified and experienced in any of these business disciplines, you’re possibly in the best position currently to find work in Canada.

Other significant areas of employment include the chemical industry, oil, petroleum and natural gas related industries and processed and unprocessed mineral related businesses – but if you take a look at the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website you’ll find a regularly updated list of the industries and disciplines that Canada has most vacancies in.  These are areas where skilled and experienced individuals are far more likely to a) find a job and then b) be granted residency permissions.

In terms of practically finding a job in Canada there are two ways to go about it.  You either find a job and get an offer of employment and then apply for permission to move to live in Canada on a temporary visa which you can exchange for a permanent visa eventually, or you can get your residency permissions and then look for a job either before or after moving to live in Canada.  Regional and national newspapers that can be found online as well as in print have job vacancies, there are job bank type online databases listing jobs, you can apply to an agency or even a temp agency for work or directly target employers for employment.  If you take the latter route you need to be very proactive and follow up any initial letter of introduction with phone calls and emails.  The better qualified and keener you are, the more likely you are to get noticed and succeed.

In terms of permissions, visas and permits that you may need, some jobs in Canada don’t require that you have a specific work permit – in part this depends on your residency status.  If in doubt always, always ask the recruiter.  You will need to get an SIN, which is a Social Insurance Number, once you have a job or residency in Canada, and if you do need a work permit to either go and work in Canada temporarily or to aide your residency application, you have to have an offer of work and the agency of Human Resources Development Canada has to approve your application.

Now is a great time to actively seek employment in Canada – traditionally would-be emigrants leave it until the Spring or Summer to target employers, so if there are vacancies available and the immigration department has not filled all residency vacancies for the year, it surely stands to reason that you are far more likely to be successful in finding a job and getting residency in Canada at such a time.