Amid a challenging job market, Casey McLaughlin, formerly the executive director of the Yukon Transportation Museum, joined the ranks of job seekers at an Ottawa job fair, hoping to secure a position at a new Food Basics grocery store. Despite her extensive experience, McLaughlin expressed willingness to take on a role shelving vegetables to make ends meet in the current tough job landscape.
Similarly, Nafisa Ijie, equipped with a master’s degree and prior business analyst roles in Nigeria and England, faced hurdles in finding employment due to the lack of Canadian work experience. Undeterred, Ijie, who migrated to Canada just over a year ago, recognized the importance of starting from scratch to gain foothold in the job market.
Statistics Canada reported a rise in unemployment to 7.1% in August, marking the highest rate since May 2016, excluding pandemic years. Viet Vu, an economic research manager at The Dais, highlighted the reluctance of companies to expand and create new job opportunities due to trade uncertainties and labor market slackening.
The scarcity of job openings has made events like the Food Basics job fair rare and appealing, even to overqualified individuals. For young individuals, the job search is particularly challenging, with student unemployment hitting its peak since 2009. Entry-level positions are often the first to be affected when companies halt expansion, impacting young job seekers disproportionately.
Food Basics revealed receiving hundreds of applications for just 125 available positions in Ottawa. Despite her qualifications, McLaughlin was not selected for a position, emphasizing the need to set aside pride and adapt to the evolving job market dynamics. Vu suggested that a brief period of unemployment is common post-job loss, but prolonged periods of joblessness could be concerning.
Looking ahead, Vu predicted a continuation of the current economic trend with subdued hiring activity and a slightly elevated unemployment rate. As job seekers like McLaughlin navigate the competitive job market, the struggle to secure employment persists, urging individuals to remain resilient in their pursuit of opportunities.
