Saskatchewan sees job growth.

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More people in Saskatchewan are working now compared to this time last year, according to Statistics Canada.
Statistics indicate there were 525,800 people working in Saskatchewan in October 2010 — a record for the month of October and an overall increase of 5,200 compared to the same month in 2009.
"Saskatchewan's growth agenda is yielding real benefits for our province's citizens," Advanced Education, Employment and Immigration Minister Rob Norris said.
"We've never seen so many people working in October, and our workers are earning more than they ever have."
Norris also pointed out more than 11,300 full-time positions were created in Saskatchewan's private sector over the past year.
"That speaks to the quality of employment opportunities that we see in the province," he said.
"Obviously, a second number that caught our attention [is] more than 11,000 jobs that have been created by the private sector year-over-year. These are sustainable, quality jobs that are reflective of the robust nature of what's going on in Saskatchewan."
Norris also pointed out that for the sixth consecutive month, First Nations and Métis numbers saw a year-over-year increase with employment up 6.7 per cent.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/11/05/sask-job-growth.html#ixzz14VsnXDmu

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Canada holds immigration levels steady

Image via WikipediaThe federal government wants to keep Canada's immigration levels steady next year but change the mix of newcomers, limiting economic immigrants and boosting the number of spouses and children.
In its annual report to Parliament on immigration, the Conservative government says it aims to take in between 240,000 and 265,000 new permanent residents next year. That's the same target as this year and last.


But Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is looking to cut the economic class of immigrants by about 5,000 people – despite highlighting the growing dependence of the Canadian workforce on immigrant labour.
“Canada's post-recession economy demands a high level of legal immigration to keep our workforce strong,” Mr. Kenney said in a news release.
Provinces are taking a growing role in selecting economic immigrants, the report notes. As the number of federally selected newcomers in the economic class drops back, the number of provincially selected workers is climbing.
Mr. Kenney is increasing the target range for spouses and children, to a high of 48,000 – up from 45,000 in 2010, and back to the historical norm.
He is also expecting the number of refugees to rise, partly because the government has committed to doubling the number it resettles from overseas refugee camps.
“These refugees are selected and screened by Canada, and come here legally,” Mr. Kenney said. “We look forward to giving them a safe, new beginning.”
By keeping immigration levels steady, Mr. Kenney is walking a fine line between those who want levels to rise steadily to deal with an expected worker shortage, and those who want to cut back dramatically on newcomers until well after the recession.
Glen Hodgson, chief economist at the Conference Board of Canada, argues that the recession prompted a temporary glut in workers. As the economy recovers, and as retirements soar, he figures Canada will require about 350,000 immigrants a year by 2030 in order to keep its workforce growing.
Plus, Ottawa needs to make sure those immigrants meet the labour market's needs, Mr. Hodgson says.
“A reinvigorated immigration policy, growing toward 350,000 by about 2030, will need to recognize the importance of skills-based immigration to address Canada's labour market needs and to unlock immigrants' potential for making a long-term economic contribution,” he writes in a recent article.
But a new, conservative group of immigration experts wants Mr. Kenney to go the other way.
“It makes no sense to maintain high levels of immigration when large numbers of Canadians are unemployed,” the Centre for Immigration Policy Reform says.
Canadians can confront the coming skills shortage by themselves, by improving their own training and working later in life, the centre's website states.
“There will be no such shortages if more Canadians acquire the needed skills, which can be accomplished if wages, government policies and other conditions encourage them to do so and the jobs are not filled by immigrants.”
For Mr. Kenney, the answer for now is to keep the immigration levels the same, but to focus on integrating newcomers more effectively so that the Canadian workforce can benefit fully from their training and expertise.
“Immigrants arrive in Canada with degrees and experience in skilled occupations such as medicine or engineering. Yet, many are unable to fill the critical positions our labour force desperately needs,” Mr. Kenney said in a speech on Monday.
“It isn't because they are unqualified or that they don't have the skills these positions demand, it's just that they are unable to transfer their international education and experience into Canadian workplaces in a timely manner.”

Source: The Globe and Mail

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Total complete Federal Skilled Worker (SW1) applications received since June 26, 2010

Image via WikipediaOn June 26, 2010, the eligibility criteria for Federal Skilled Worker applicants changed.
Between June 26, 2010, and June 30, 2011, a maximum of 20,000 complete Federal Skilled Worker applications will be considered for processing. Within the 20,000 cap, a maximum of 1,000 Federal Skilled Worker applications per eligible occupation will be considered for processing within this same time frame.
These limits do not apply to applications with an offer of arranged employment (job offer).
Applications received toward the overall cap: 2,988 of 20,000 as of October 29, 2010

Applications received per eligible occupation:

Eligible Occupation (by National Occupational Classification [NOC] code)	Number of Complete Applications Received*
0631 Restaurant and Food Service Managers	116
0811 Primary Production Managers (except Agriculture)	29
1122 Professional Occupations in Business Services to Management	900
1233 Insurance Adjusters and Claims Examiners	40
2121 Biologists and Related Scientists	141
2151 Architects	165
3111 Specialist Physicians	126
3112 General Practitioners and Family Physicians	157
3113 Dentists	197
3131 Pharmacists	260
3142 Physiotherapists	55
3152 Registered Nurses	405
3215 Medical Radiation Technologists	8
3222 Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists	4
3233 Licensed Practical Nurses	18
4151 Psychologists	37
4152 Social Workers	81
6241 Chefs	17
6242 Cooks	44
7215 Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades	19
7216 Contractors and Supervisors, Mechanic Trades	53
7241 Electricians (except Industrial and Power System)	32
7242 Industrial Electricians	36
7251 Plumbers	8
7265 Welders and Related Machine Operators	7
7312 Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics	14
7371 Crane Operators	0
7372 Drillers and Blasters - Surface Mining, Quarrying and Construction	2
8222 Supervisors, Oil and Gas Drilling and Service	17

*The number of complete Federal Skilled Worker applications received as of October 29, 2010, is approximate.
NOTE: Because application intake fluctuates, these figures are meant as a guide only. There is no guarantee that an application sent in now will fall within the cap.

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