What are the Job Prospects for Immigrants in Canada?

If you are considering a move to Canada, and you're not relocating due to a career change, then one of the first priorities will be to start looking for a job. Canada is already considered one of the best places for immigrants, with many people stating that they are at their happiest in Canada, but what about job prospects and employment opportunities for immigrants, and how easy to go it alone and follow the path of self-employment?

One thing anyone planning a move overseas should do is find out about the local employment opportunities. Keeping track of Labor Force Surveys will indicate which industry sectors are showing signs of growth and which sectors are declining; this will make it easier to understand the prospects of finding employment once the move to Canada has been completed.

There was good news in that the latest Labor Force Survey in Canada showed a drop in unemployment. According to statistics, the surge in employment was due to an increase in youth employment. Last month's employment figures are encouraging; there are more people employed in Canada now then there was a year ago.

In keeping with other surveys, it was also found that there is an increase in part-time work as part-time jobs continued to increase compared with full time job creation. This is something that immigrants particularly need to take note of. Part-time jobs - although easier to find - obviously don't offer as much security as full time work, and if these surveys are anything to go by, full time work in Canada is becoming more difficult to find.

However, if finance, leasing, insurance or real estate are among your main interests, these sectors all experienced a growth in employment. Figures also showed that there was an increase in private sector employment; the agriculture industry showed growth, too. Moreover, the figures showed that the number of people working in the manufacturing sector or in the public administration sector were on the decline.

If you are considering self-employment once you've immigrated to Canada, then you'll be interested to know that levels of self-employment have fell in some provinces. In total, there were 45,000 fewer people working for themselves. However, that doesn't mean that self-employment is impossible once you've created a new life in Canada; if you can spot a niche or choose a growing sector, then you could be on your way to a successful business.