Casey McLaughlin, previously the executive director of the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse, recently joined hundreds of job seekers at a job fair in Ottawa, hoping to secure a position at a new Food Basics grocery store. Despite her previous role, she expressed willingness to transition to a lower-tier job to meet financial obligations in the challenging job market of Ottawa.
Similarly, Nafisa Ijie, armed with a master’s degree and professional experience as a business analyst in Nigeria and England, faced the struggle of securing employment due to lack of Canadian work experience. She emphasized the necessity of starting somewhere, having arrived in Canada just over a year ago.
Statistics Canada reported a rise in unemployment to 7.1% in August, marking the highest rate since May 2016, excluding pandemic years. Viet Vu, the economic research manager at The Dais, noted that while companies are not necessarily letting go of employees, they are hesitant to create new positions due to trade uncertainties and labor market challenges.
Youth unemployment poses an additional hurdle, with student unemployment reaching its highest level since 2009. Entry-level positions are often the first to be affected when companies halt expansion, disproportionately impacting young individuals seeking employment opportunities.
The recent Food Basics job fair in Ottawa attracted significant attention, with hundreds of applicants vying for just 125 available positions. Despite her qualifications and experience, McLaughlin was not selected for a role, reflecting the tough competition in the job market.
In response to the current economic climate, Vu highlighted the importance of persistence for job seekers and cautioned against prolonged unemployment periods. As September’s labor statistics loom, the trend of weakened economic activity and elevated unemployment levels is expected to persist, emphasizing the challenges faced by job seekers in the current job market.