While Americans are heading to the polls to choose between Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump, it seems they’re also turning to their computers to search for jobs in Canada.
The number of U.S. residents searching for jobs in Canada has gone up more than 50 per cent this year from last, one popular employment search engine has revealed, as the contentious U.S. presidential election nears.
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In all of 2015 there were about 20,000 such queries on Monster.com using the keyword “Canada,” while in the first 10 months of 2016, there were more than 30,000.
While there is no real way to know if American interest in Canadian employment is related to the U.S. presidential election, past behaviour suggests it could be linked.
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In February, when Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary Twitter was abuzz with moving plans.
During Super Tuesday, when both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump had big wins, “Move to Canada” searches spiked on Google.
And a poll in March found that 19 per cent of Americans would consider moving to Canada if Trump wins.
History also shows that an election can spur people to make the move: Immigration to Canada doubled after George W. Bush’s 2004 win.
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Unfortunately, those on the hunt for a new Canadian job may have a tough time: The unemployment rate in Canada has hovered around 7 per cent in recent months, which in the U.S. it’s around 5 per cent.
Wages in Canada have stagnated over the last year; in the United States, household income surged in 2015 after years of stunted growth following the recession.
So where do job searchers want to go? Ontario was most searched, particularly Toronto, followed by Alberta and British Columbia. Quebec and New Brunswick rounded out the Top 5.
Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 8.
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