Where should Canadian youth be looking for work?

Getting a job is difficult everywhere with today’s fragile state of the economy. If you live in Canada, and you are anywhere between 19 and 45-years old, you have to deal with a competitive employment environment.

Whether you are looking for a full-time occupation or a part-time job you need to consider several factors. As a young Canadian, you will need the answers to these essential questions the next time you are out there hunting for a job:

How hard is it to get a job in Canada?

As of March 2019, the unemployment rate in Canada has reached 5.8%, which is the highest that it ever got since October 2018. Many territories are still recovering from last decade’s recession, while others are opening their doors to young graduates and undergrads alike. Some of the provinces where the job market is expanding are British Columbia and Alberta.

The good news comes from the imminent retirement of the baby boomer generation, which should leave behind a substantial number of vacant positions. The departing generation still makes up for the largest working demographic group. In 2018, more than 26% of the adult Canadian workers accounted for the baby boomer age group.

The authorities expect that no later than 2024, one out of every five working Canadians will be over the age of 65. The rapid rate of retirement leads to many in-demand jobs to become available all across Canada.

What are the most in-demand jobs in Canada?

Due to its large territory and various natural resources, Canada has a broad range of thriving industries, out of which the most popular ones include:

  • Agriculture
  • Energy
  • Fishing
  • Healthcare
  • Manufacturing

Other fields of work that you can enter and where you can enjoy a satisfying work-life balance are mining, retail, and tourism.

Canada also has a significant number of high-demand jobs that come with reliable work security and substantial salaries. If you want to develop a career in an ever-expanding sector, you should look for job opportunities like:

  • Registered Nurse
  • Truck Driver
  • College Teacher
  • Business Management Consultant
  • Welder
  • Software Developer

Other profitable job positions include aerospace engineer, electrician, aircraft pilot, and pharmacist. Merchandisers, HR managers, and hospitality agents should also be able to find jobs easily provided that they have at least a bachelor’s degree in the respective fields of work.

What are the best-paying jobs in Canada?

Young Canadians that have not finished their studies yet might want to know if the field of work in which they are currently specializing will feature the best-paying jobs in Canada. Right now, the highest-earning positions in the Canadian economy include:

Pharmacist

A pharmacist or a drug expert can earn as much as $50.31 per hour. The demand for professional pharmacists is high all across Canada with the best paying provinces being Quebec, Manitoba, and Alberta. While this profession has a bright future ahead, getting the specialization also requires extensive studies and research.

Software Engineer

With the rapid ascent of computer technology, software engineering has become one of the most in-demand professions in Canada and almost everywhere in the world. At this point, universities produce fewer software engineers and designers than the market demands.

A software engineer in Canada may earn up to $43.27 per hour. The provinces with the most job openings in software engineering are Manitoba, Ontario, and Alberta.

Aerospace Engineer

Aerospace engineering is a field that many expect to grow rapidly in the next decade. Right now, an aerospace engineer may earn up to $43.23 per hour based on a bachelor’s degree and provincial licensing. Quebec and Ontario have the most job openings for this profession.

Other profitable jobs for the Canadian youth include:

  • Psychologist – $39/hour
  • Registered Nurse – $37/hour
  • Aircraft Pilot – $37/hour
  • College Instructor – $36/hour
  • Business Consultant – $36/hour
  • Electrician – $33/hour

Where to look for jobs in Canada

It used to be that most job ads in Canada would be posted in newspapers by recruitment agencies. Nowadays, the entire employment process has moved online and most of the working opportunities for the Canadian youth are available at web directories like:

Canadians that have just graduated from college or a master degree have a bigger chance of finding a job if they first look for an internship at:

Internships allow young people with little or no working experience to discover the requirements of a job at an initiating stage. At this entry-level stage, there is plenty of room for gaining experience, enhancing skills and creating a network of connections.

Some fresh college graduates avoid taking up full-time jobs immediately after finishing their studies. They may want to put an unwinding period of 2-3 months between the exam terms and the beginning of their career. In this case, summer jobs are ideal for this semi-sabbatical span, and the best places to look for them are:

Summer jobs do not count in the résumés of Canadian young graduates when they will apply for full-time positions. Nevertheless, they will allow them to earn a small wage for a couple of months while deciding where to start their careers.

One of the most popular jobs in Canada is teaching. Many young Canadians choose this field of work because the conditions to become a teacher are quite flexible. Simply put, you need to have a bachelor’s degree, to be fluent in English and to have a minimum of three months of teaching experience, which students can acquire during their college years.

When looking for teaching jobs in Canada, one should look at:

The only downside to applying for teaching jobs in Canada is that you will face the competition of international candidates who have more experience in such positions.

What is working life in Canada like?

Working life in Canada is very similar to having a decent job almost anywhere in Western culture. On average, Canadians work for 40 hours per week, from Monday to Friday and with the weekends dedicated to free personal time.

Canadians earn an average salary of CAD$55,000 (£31,500). Any salary below the line of CAD$47,630 (£27,363) has a fixed income tax of 15%, while the salaries above that line are subject to income taxes imposed by each province.

All Canadian workers are entitled to 9 paid public holidays. Additionally, they receive a minimum of two weeks of annual leave if they have at least one year of paid work under their belt. Once you work for six years in Canada, you will be allowed to take at least three weeks of annual leave.