Canada’s employment status best in North America

Reports from the United States and Canada show some stop-and-go trending right now when it comes to unemployment and recovery figures, but statistics reveal Canada is faring better than the US.

In the United States, unemployment for December remained unchanged at 10%, but still ever so slightly lower than October’s figure of 10.1%. Canada’s unemployment figure, in contrast, peaked at 8.7% in August, and has remained unchanged at 8.5% through to December. Economists say this figure is actually positive given the global financial situation, especially considering that Canada’s unemployment numbers hit 13% in the 1982 recession and 12.1% in 1992.

Canada’s overall jobs picture looks brighter than that of the US at the start of 2010. Employment growth took a small hit in the final month of 2009, with a loss of 2600 jobs overall, but there have been 91,000 jobs created across the country since July, with a massive 79,100 of them created in November alone.

While North America pulls itself out of recession, there is little question that Canadian jobs are faring better at this stage. In 2009, the United States suffered a drop in employment of 3.1%, while Canada’s was only half as bad at 1.4%.

As we moved into 2010, let’s hope that job prospects increase, and that skilled migrants looking to enter Canada find the opportunities they seek.