Looking for work? You're not alone.

[CielOnTap]

Active on social media sites? They might lead to job postings so you stand a chance of going beyond job bank sites.

http://www.thestar.com/business/persona ... earch.html

A recent report by economists connected to one of Canada's major banks indicates that the skilled trades shortage might not be that short of people. The report was surprised to note that for a supposed shortage, wages did not reflect employers' willingness to pay people more if they were very much in demand.

They also looked at wage gains on the theory that if labour is scarce, employers will pay more to obtain it.

But even in Alberta and Saskatchewan, which for years have led the country in low unemployment rates and have real shortages in certain trades, the report suggests the problem is far from crisis proportions.

"The story on the wage data remains curious, as wage gains out West have not increased to the extent that one might have thought given the signs of tightness," the economists wrote.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada ... 99761.html

Switzerland's unemployment rate report, from earlier in October:
http://www.thelocal.ch/20131008/overall ... -unchanged

[CielOnTap]

Even Saskatchewan is feeling some job slowdown action-the potash industry recently cut jobs in what was the primary economic driver for the province.

http://www.theledger.com/article/201312 ... /131209532
It might help to explain the job cuts by linking an October article mentioning potash competitors in Europe that have broken a joint venture that tended to lead the pricing for potash.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... e15041702/

In other news, I had read last month of a Canadian construction job fair held in Ireland, in order to obtain experienced tradespersons for work in British Columbia. However, Canadian residents needing to get their apprenticeships or first entry job into fields they studied are finding employers unwilling to hire them and to train them.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013 ... _jobs.html
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/b-c/i ... n-1.699669

[CielOnTap]

The matter of internships that are unpaid is getting much attention in Ontario. There are voices calling to make the posts at least minimum-wage jobs to offset students' expenses in attending work. Also, there is political will in ensuring interns will get coverage under health and safety acts, as currently legislation does not cover nor mention interns.

http://www.thestar.com/news/insight/201 ... _scam.html

Many post-secondary graduates who only found unpaid internships discovered a range of experiences in their positions-mostly grunge work but some did get relevant work experiences.

[CielOnTap]

Bilingual job fairs will be arriving in four Ontario communities in or near the Greater Toronto area plus the capital, Ottawa:

Toronto-March 7, Markham-March 11, Ottawa-March 13, Mississauga-March 14, Hamilton-March 20.
http://www.wbgcanada.com/

A $2 entry fee will apply to the job fair for attendees. A final exhibitor list has yet to be posted; the fair will have 6 categories for exhibitors. A is for Immediate Hiring and B is for Staffing.

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Noticed a news article about Quebec anglophones having indicated in a survey that about 50% of them are thinking of leaving Quebec due to various issues there. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/ ... -1.2549484

CBC has a series called Living English, which profiles anglophones who live in Quebec. One woman's story mentions the frequent French-only language service encounters when she tried to access English language services for her language school and work plans. http://www.cbc.ca/montreal/features/liv ... -profiles/

[CielOnTap]

I am aware that Jason Kenney, Canada's Minister of Employment and Social Development, went on a trip to explore how Germany's apprenticeship programs work to encourage high school students to enter the trades. I have noticed some Canadian commenters feel the overseas trip was another taxpayer funded travel event will not bring benefits to Canada's labour market for trades workers. German schools make students decide in grade 10 which career paths they will take in order to acquire the vocational skills for their future jobs.

Mr. Kenney seems unaware of what Spiegel English reported-there are trained Germans that won't leave the big cities for work in smaller communities which lack after-work diversions. German employers have recruited EU citizens to immigrate to Germany, learn on the job with a requirement to reach a certain level of German language competence within two years, and therefore ensure employees exist for work requirements. Those same EU citizens cannot find work in their home countries and while received well at work, are experiencing some culture shock at German social customs that may vary greatly from what the new employees know at home. So, Mr. Kenney, even Germany is facing economic realities and looking for competent workers outside of Germany but the tradeoff is that new workers do miss the support of friends and family while adjusting to their new jobs/lives.

At least Mr. Kenney is aware of the obvious-Canadian employers need to increase their training budgets in order to help increase the pool of trade workers.

[CielOnTap]

The made-over Job Bank, a job search and employment program portal by the Canadian Goverment, offers Job Market News, a sort of major headlines summary of job changes/company openings and closings within provinces and territories as well as major investment projects. You see the weekly headlines by choosing your province or territory, then selecting a particular week to see what was news during that time.
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_bulletin.d ... =&EVENTCD=

I am not certain that I like the new Job Search-it seems to be an aggregator of online postings. Cannot seem to find the listings by district in a province. It seems if you pick View all jobs, all the listings in the Job Bank come up. I think the rationale behind entering a job title or location is to show all the matches for a particular position across the country or all the listings for a specific location. Before you had to choose which province or territory you wanted unless you pick All of Canada. Now you don't have to set that filter.
http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/job_search_res ... mit=Search

[CielOnTap]

Bilingual jobs fairs will return in September and October for Ontario, Western Canada and Halifax:
http://www.wbgcanada.com/

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Resumes-youth/students still looking for work should find out if a summer jobs program through a community organization is available to provide resume help, listings of jobs for the area and programs to improve your job search. You are in the demographic group that is likely eligible for job subsidy programs helping students to find summer jobs as long as you are returning to post-secondary studies in the fall.
Toronto area-there's a summer job fair in Mississauga:
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/job-fair-tr ... 1497767131

Resumes for adults-if you don't remember the last time you updated your resume, load your file and see what you have not added to reflect more current experiences. It's amazing that you may have missed a position, skill or keyword because "you haven't had the time" to sit down in front of your computer or a hard copy to read and to edit your resume. Do you some industry keywords, especially if you are trying to leave one sector and enter another one?

[CielOnTap]

Recommended reading from the November 2014 issue of Toronto Life:

Paycheque to Paycheque Four low-paid Torontonians reveal how they survive this exorbitant city By Alexandra Kimball

All of them have post-secondary qualifications but are not earning living wages. In fact, having a second job seems to be necessary to cover the month's expenses.

[pretzels]

Adulthood relies on having steady income or means to have a life and to share with others. Having too many job setbacks or job changes undermines independence and health.

Spotted this piece in the New York Times-we all probably know people who are in this situation (ourselves or ones close to us or people spoken of in conversations). I want all readers to absorb this opinion piece and figure out what can be done to create empathy and open doors leading to someone's independence and having a life through jobs.

So, Kevin Green, R.I.P. You were a good man — hardworking and always on the lookout for someone to help — yet you were overturned by riptides of inequality. Those who would judge you don’t have a clue. They could use a dose of your own empathy.

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/25/opini ... c=twr&_r=1

[CielOnTap]

Nicholas Kristoff's follow-up piece on empathy in relation to his friend's recent passing:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/29/opini ... pe=article

Yet I’ve come to believe that service trips do open eyes and remind students of their good fortune. In short, they build empathy.

So let’s escape the insulation of our comfort zones. Let’s encourage student service projects and travel to distant countries and to needy areas nearby. Whatever the impact on others, volunteering may at least help the volunteer. Let’s teach Dickens and DeLillo in schools, along with literature that humanizes minority groups and builds understanding.

Above all, let’s remember that compassion and rationality are not effete markers of weakness, but signs of civilization.