Job prospects still more down than up

OTTAWA – The economy may be bouncing back and the employment market balancing out but in the near term, at least, employment prospects across the country are more down than up, the Conference Board of Canada said Friday.

The Metro Help-Wanted Index for January shows near-term employment prospects up in 10 of the census metropolitan areas covered, stable in two and down in 15.

Ottawa-Gatineau, which has remained on a relatively even keel throughout the economic downturn, was one of the two CMAs considered to be stable; the other was Sherbrooke, Que.

January’s results suggest more of a balance in the Canadian labour market than has been seen recently.

“Whereas in previous months employment prospects tended to be up in Eastern Canadian cities and down in Western ones, this month’s report reveals a more balanced outlook,” the Board says. “Of the 10 CMAs with positive employment growth prospects, six are located in Eastern Canada and four are located in the West.”

The CMAs with a positive outlook are Quebec and Trois Rivieres in Quebec; Greater Sudbury, Oshawa, Toronto and St. Catharines-Niagara in Ontario; Regina, Saskatoon, Vancouver and Abbotsford, B.C.

Those with less optimistic near-term employment prospects are St. John’s, N.L., Halifax, Saint John, N.B., Montreal and Saguenay, Que., Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton, Victoria and the Ontario cities of Kingston, Hamilton, London, Windsor, Kitchener and Thunder Bay.