By CTV News |
In the worst employment market in decades, job hunters need to prepare for what will inevitably be a video interview, say employers and job market experts who suggest there are opportunities out there.
Statistics Canada reported more than one million Canadians lost their jobs at the onset of the COVID-19 crisis in March, which is eight times worse than the previous one-month record during the financial meltdown in January 2009.
Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate jumped 2.2 percentage points to 7.8 per cent in March, the highest since October 2010. April’s unemployment numbers are due within days.
But it’s not all doom and gloom, says Jessica Hodgson, human resources director at Later, a visual marketing platform in Vancouver with more than two million users.
“There are jobs to be had,” she said in a telephone interview. “The tech sector for sure is well positioned to handle this. There are also industries where they’re looking for more people. Anybody that’s involved in shipping, logistics, supply chain manufacturing, those people are still operating and still expect to be operational.”
Hodgson acknowledged the struggles of many companies. She said her company had 1,500 job applications in March for about 15 openings, but that number increased to 3,500 in April.