A Calgary seniors home looking for new employees was swamped this weekend.
We all know its tough finding work and a job fair at the southwest senior facility were overwhelmed by applicants.
A huge crowd showed up armed with resumes looking for work at the Swan Evergreen Village Seniors Facility in southwest Calgary.
“I’m looking for a day shift and I think it’s better cause they are giving more in salary,” Andrea Abundo said.
An estimated 1,000 people showed up and at one point, police were called to ensure the crowd remained orderly.
It’s a measure of the demand for jobs, in a provincial economy that has turned south as oil prices slide from over $100 a barrel to barely above $40 a barrel.
Between Dec. 2014 and April 2016, 3,800 energy jobs were lost in Alberta. Another 29,000 related jobs were also lost for a total of 33,00 jobs.
Alberta E.I. benefits are also soaring in the same time frame – from 31,000 recipients in Dec. 2014, to more than double that number, or 68,000 recipients in April 2016.
The Origin Corporation is collecting resumes, for dishwashers, nurses and cleaning staff, with plenty of jobs to fill.
“It can be anywhere from 150 to 200, depending on the mix. That might be some casual workers involved as well,” Lisa Wood, general manager of Swan Evergreen Village, said.
New employees will start work this fall, when the Swan Evergreen facility opens in October.
The seniors home will have almost 200 beds when it opens.
The company said it’s looking at expanding to an additional 100 beds in the future.