The Working Centre - Job Search Resource Centre


Labour market information can be useful in a variety of ways, helping you to:

  • Research a change in the kind of work you want to do
  • Learn more about the demand for a particular kind of work
  • Learn about the skills, wages and work conditions for a particular job
  • Understand who hires for a particular kind of work

Ways to research the labour market

There are three main sources for information:

1. Book/Paper based research

  • Job ads in local papers - look at the kind of jobs being advertised, and the descriptions of the jobs
  • Local Careers section of the newspapers - you can gather information on work trends and often specific information about your work area
  • Look for the Scott's Directory of employers at your local library to research particular employers

2. Internet research

  • The main job search sites offer many resources on latest trends in work and/or careers
  • For a local business directory visit Canada's Technology Triangle and select Search the Business Directory
  • Many local employers have websites that describe hiring information
  • The Government of Canada offers four sites to assist with occupational research
    • Understanding the National Occupational Classification - offers a description of how jobs and careers are organized in Canada. Includes information on education levels, conditions of work, years of training, and other information about jobs in Canada.
    • Career Handbook - provides 923 occupational profiles, including information on aptitudes, interests, involvement with data/people/things, physical activities, environmental conditions, education/training indicators, career progression and work settings
    • Job Futures - provides profiles of 226 occupational groups, and describes the work experiences of recent graduates from 155 programs of study
    • Statistics Canada - offers information from the latest release from the Labour Force Survey in Canada, information on labour market trends, including sector specific information

3. People research

  • Talk to people who work in the field you are researching. The Working Centre can help you to prepare for an informational interview, or to find someone to interview to help you in your occupational research

If you are tired of looking at websites, reports and facts, switch tactics. Go out into the community and look for information and patterns there. If, on the other hand, you have been looking mostly at newspaper ads, ask yourself how the job posted connects to what you have understood from the provincial information you have been collecting. Talk to people about what you are noticing - this adds breadth and depth to your information.

Check and cross-check facts. Each time you read something about an occupation, test it out and see if you can find the same information on another website, or with a personal contact. This is especially important when using labour market information to make a long-term decision.

A Working Centre counsellor can help you to make sense of the information you are gathering. Visit our 58 Queen Street South location, or call (519) 743-1151 or by email.