The Single Men's Unemployed Association parading to Bathurst Street United Church, Toronto, Ontario, circa 1930

In the three months that have passed since I arrived in Canada, trying to find work has been my full time employment. I don’t want to sound ungrateful about this. The position has many perks: the hours are flexible, I’m my own boss, and the commute to work couldn’t be easier. The only trouble is, the pay is lousy, and I could seriously do with a promotion.

The job market in Canada, however, seems to have other ideas. It’s extremely tough for anyone to find work at the moment, let alone new immigrants. Although the domestic economy has actually held up pretty strongly in the downturn, the same cannot be said for Canada’s trading partners. The country is highly dependent upon its export markets, and almost 90% of exports are destined for the United States – in fact, around 40% of Canada’s total domestic output ends up south of the border. It is no wonder, therefore, that when the US sneezes, Canada catches a cold, and the virulence of this particular strain was made particularly clear by the announcement yesterday that Canada’s trade balance is in deficit for the first time in 33 years. With around one in three Canadian jobs dependent upon export markets, the effect on employment has been swift and severe. Economists predicted a rise in unemployment of 40,000 in January. The actual increase was 129,000 – the largest increase on record, leaving unemployment at 7.2% in Canada, 8% in Ontario, and set to grow in coming months.

That doesn’t mean I’m letting things get me down, however. It’s only natural that I have the occasional bad day (you should have seen this post yesterday before I wisely decided on a “cooling off period”), but then I remember how lucky I am. My wife has recently managed to get two part time jobs, which is helping to steady the finances, and we have a roof over our head thanks to the hospitality of my mother-in-law. This puts us in a much better place than many other victims of the current crisis, and means that I can concentrate on finding work without worrying about my house being repossessed or where the next meal is coming from. Also, given the economic crisis in Britain (not to mention the snowfalls in Britain which have coincided with a sudden thaw here), it may be true to say that the grass is greener here in Canada at the moment.

Given my current situation I was, however, interested to read that the Canadian government is considering limiting the numbers of immigrants coming into Canada. Immigration minister Jason Kenney stated yesterday that: “We don’t want people to be coming to Canada and facing unemployment. So, we need to be sensitive to a changing labour market, and if we need to make changes, we will”. I am touched by Mr Kenney’s concern. As the reader comments attached to the article linked to above attest, a curb on immigration wouldn’t come a minute to soon for many. Curiously, however, in spite of the votes on offer from a populist stance on this issue, all of the main political parties favour immigration, including the Conservative government. Mr Kenney was quick to add: “We need to be flexible, prudent and ensure that our response to short-term conditions does not counter our long-term goals, in which immigration will play a significant role”.

I can at least reassure any immigrant-bashing Canadians who may be reading that I will not be stealing welfare payments out of the pockets of hard-working Canadians during my downtime. My Canadian wife has to sponsor me for my first three years in Canada, during which time I am not entitled to a cent of help from the Canadian government. Also, I won’t be sending money home to England – on the contrary, we’re bringing money into the country to support us. I also intend to buy locally wherever it makes sense (with the exception of the occasional jar of Marmite when I can afford it, of course) so as to support other Canadian workers, and to immerse myself fully in the Canadian lifestyle at every possible opportunity. That’s why I’m here. So can I have a job now please?