Vancancies Become Easier to Fill

The continuing decline in Canada's economy is proving to be profitable for only one segment of the population, job recruiters. One Alberta job recruiter, Gerald Clark, says, "there are better candidates available today than there were a year ago. It was very difficult recruiting and hiring people in 2007 because things were very tight." This year, Clark can be much more selective in his selection of candidates, now that his field of applicants has grown nearly five times. On the whole, those living in Alberta are holding onto their jobs at a much higher rate than the rest of Canada, In fact, Calgary's unemployment rate is only 3.4%, compared with the national rate of nearly 6.4%. At the very least, this economic slowdown is bringing the quality of Canadian job applications up.

Opinion: I have mixed feelings on this issue. On one hand the quality of applicants is improving, and job recruiters are seeing resumes they haven't seen in "nearly five years." However, the fact remains that more Canadians are out of work. If the pool of unemployed in Canada is growing, that is still unsettling. Furthermore, Alberta job recruiters have also said many of those seeking jobs in Edmonton and Calgary are coming from the United States, so I can't imagine this being beneficial for those in the Edmonton area seeking employment. I suppose the moral here is: with every gain there is sometimes a loss.