Canada added more jobs than expected in February

Canada’s labour market continues to outperform expectations. After a blowout start to the new year, economists generally predicted that employment would raise slightly and unemployment would edge up.

Although 22,000 jobs is not a significant gain, it’s more than experts were predicting for February. Unemployment has remain unchanged, despite projections that it would rise by about 0.1 percentage points.

That being said, unemployment could still rise in the coming months as the Bank of Canada’s high interest rates work their way through the economy—discouraging spending.

Nevertheless, the latest jobs report shows that wages are catching up to inflation. The average hourly wages were up 5.4 percent compared to a year ago, while the annual inflation rate was 5.9 percent in January.

Employment by industry

The number of people employed in healthcare and social assistance grew by 15,000 in February, building on a gain of 40,000 in January. The number of job vacancies in the healthcare industry has remained high, even though other industries are starting to meet their labour demands. Compared to February 2022, employment in healthcare and social assistance was up by 44,000.

There were also 10,000 more people employed in public administration, which includes those working for federal, provincial, territorial, municipal, and Indigenous governments. It was the third gain for the industry in five months, mostly concentrated in Ontario and New Brunswick. Compared with 12 months earlier, employment in public administration was up by 85,000 in February.

Employment fell by -11,000 in business, building and other support services in February, marking the industry’s first notable decline since October 2021. The decline was concentrated in Ontario. However, the number of people employed in the industry—which includes jobs that support the day-to-day operations of organizations, ranging from waste management to administrative services—remained on par with the level seen at the same time last year.

Employment was little changed in wholesale and retail trade in February, following a notable increase in January.

The number of people working in construction was also little changed, following two consecutive monthly gains in December and January.

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You can also check your eligibility for more than 20 different Canadian immigration programs by taking Moving2Canada’s free Canada Immigration Quiz.

Expert resources to help immigrants get jobs in Canada

Canada’s job market provides a wealth of opportunity for newcomers, but it is only that — an opportunity.

To take full advantage, recent and prospective immigrants can leverage free government-funded resources and programs. We recently partnered with Canada InfoNet, a government-funded pre-arrival employment support program, to bring you two expert guides on transitioning to a career in Canada:

• Transitioning to the Canadian job market
• How to find a career mentor in Canada

The outlook on Canadian construction and infrastructure

This past February, employment in construction was up 4.6 percent on a year-over-year basis, making it one of the fastest-growing industries over the previous 12 months.

“Canada’s construction sector continues to perform well. Across real estate there has been a noticeable pullback in high-rise residential activity but strong growth in long term care homes and social housing project. Infrastructure continues to boom with huge Federal spending across healthcare, water and transportation infrastructure expected to drive the construction sector forward for the coming years.“

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Outpost Recruitment is actively looking for candidates for projects across Canada. View the latest job postings here.

How to take advantage in Canada’s job market

The Moving2Canada team has a special feature for people who want to get a job in Canada or accelerate their career here. Readers can now opt in to hear from recruiters and employers we partner with and upload a resume to their account, all for free.

• If you already have a Moving2Canada account, sign in here and complete or update your profile to hear about job opportunities.
• If you don’t already have a Moving2Canada account, please register here and complete your profile.

We’re excited to help more newcomers and people wishing to move to Canada in their career goals.

How to get a job in Canada

If you’re looking for a job in Canada here are some steps you can take to land that sweet, sweet Canadian job offer.

• Get your resume in good shape. This crucial step is often left down the list of job seekers’ priorities, despite being arguably the most important step of all. Read our Canadian resume guide to get going.
• Start looking at open opportunities. Some companies are still hiring. Don’t believe us? Head over to our Jobs Board, populated daily with new positions across Canada.
• Build your network. You can assemble a team to help you in your job search. With ongoing physical distancing and travel restrictions, technology is your friend here. Read our networking guide, written by award-winning entrepreneur Ruairi Spillane, for expert advice.

Here’s a popular webinar from recruitment expert and Moving2Canada founder, Ruairi Spillane, about how to create the best resume for the Canadian jobs market:

New and improved Jobs Board

We have worked hard over recent weeks to ramp up the number and range of job postings on our Jobs Board.

Don’t forget to complete or update your Moving2Canada profile to hear about job opportunities in your industry in Canada!

Want to dig deeper into the Canada Jobs Report data? Try these interactive tools, courtesy of StatsCan.