316,000 new jobs and wage increases in Canada

37,000 new jobs appeared in October in a Canadian province. And the total so far is 316,000. That's 35% more than last year. The region also wants to raise the minimum wage, create new jobs in several important sectors and double the number of immigrants accepted.

Of course, we're talking about Ontario, the province that is home to Canada's capital city of Ottawa and the largest city of Toronto and where most immigrants go. Ontario recently announced laws to protect foreign workers that no other province has.

Employment and Immigration in Ontario

The province didn't stop at protecting workers. In October, it took the lead in Canada in the number of jobs. That's not surprising, because Ontario is a very populated region and there are a lot of companies and businesses here. The province has developed a budget for the coming years that outlines where and for what purpose government investment will go.

And in November, the Ontario government asked the federal government of Canada to double the limit on immigrants under the provincial program. Right now, the province can only invite 9,000; if the request is approved, it will be 18,000. But that's not counting those who move to Ontario through federal programs.

Jobs in demand in Ontario

Some areas of the economy have been hit hard by the pandemic. For example, health care. Ontario, like other Canadian provinces, has a large shortage of health care professionals. And starting in 2021-2022 and over the next 10 years, Ontario is still going to build new hospitals and nursing homes and improve existing ones, so the shortage of staff will only increase. So the province has set a goal of hiring 5,000 new nurses and 8,000 care workers.

Unfortunately, nurses can't just get a job in Canada, they have to retrain and get their license. You can study at a college or university.

If you need to find an institution and help applying for a student visa, contact an immigration consultant.

It is also important that the region is going to pay more attention to maintaining the psychological health of medical staff so that workers can seek help at any time, because it is no secret that working in hospitals can be very stressful, especially during a pandemic.

Aside from the health sector, Ontario wants to invest in and create more jobs in the mining and automotive sectors. The province will need workers to mine, build highways and work in the supply chain of electric vehicles. The government is also targeting a revitalization of the tourism industry, but there's no mention of tourism jobs on the official website for some reason, although there are skills shortages in this sector overall in Canada.

Another interesting plan for the province is to hold job fairs for skilled professionals and tradespeople to make it easier for them to get jobs. There is one "but": they are likely to be for people who are already in Canada.

Wage increases

And news I think you'll like. The Ontario government wants to raise the minimum wage to $15 CAD per hour on January 1, 2022. That would be one of the highest rates across Canada. Currently, that rate is only in two provinces: Alberta, exactly $15 CAD and in British Columbia, $15.20 CAD per hour. I'm not counting the northern territories.

In Ontario right now, the minimum wage is $14.35 CAD per hour. If it's raised to $15, a month with the minimum wage would be $2,400 CAD before taxes. Is that a lot or a little? I suggest you decide for yourself by reading about the expenses of the average family in Canada. But the minimum is paid in an unskilled job. If you have a skilled or even working profession that requires some skills, you will be paid more.

Average salaries in Ontario

According to official statistics from Statistics Canada, the average hourly rate in 2020 was $35 CAD. That's $5,600 CAD per month — significantly more than the minimum wage — and $67,200 CAD per year before taxes. After taxes, that leaves about $55,000 a year or about $4,600 a month on hand.

All in all, Ontario is a very attractive province for both immigration and work. You can look for a job in Canada from your home country, but you need a quality resume written according to all Canadian standards.

We have professionals who write Canadian format resumes.

The job, however, will have to be looked for on your own. Many people have to send hundreds or even thousands of responses to vacancies before they are invited for an interview.

Gulnara, co-host of Immigrant.Today