Labour Market
Following your interests is an important part of career planning, but chances are that you also want to find a job! This module will help you to explore labour market information (LMI) and get a sense of employment possibilities.
Top Tips
✓ Use reliable resources. Make sure to get your information from reputable resources, like government websites or professional associations.
✓ Look at all the pieces of the puzzle. Labour market information can help you make an informed program or career choice, but you also need to consider your interests and needs.
✓ Check your expectations. Most people do not start working in their dream job right away. You might need to move, take a lower-paying job, and work your way up.
✓ Nothing is set in stone. Predictions are not facts. Many variables can affect the job market -- for example, changes in technology can cause a boom or a bust in an industry.
✓ Branch out! Don’t limit your research to one career area. College provides you with a transferable skill set that will make you a strong candidate for lots of different jobs.
Introduction to Labour Market Information
Watch this video (The Learning Portal Ontario, 2020) to learn about how to find and use reliable labour market information. You can also download the Introduction to Labour Market Information video transcript.
Labour market information (LMI) provides data on a number of employment industries (for example, manufacturing). Labour market information can tell you many different things, including job trends, the jobs and skills employers are looking for, which industries are hiring, where jobs are located, and areas of job growth or decline -- in other words, it’s an excellent tool in career planning!
The following factors can influence the likelihood of being hired in a specific field, and can be found out through labour market information:
Labour Market Information Resources
Government of Canada: Your Career Starts Here
Search for jobs and access detailed information about the job market in Canada.
Government of Alberta: Alberta's Labour Market
Access detailed information on Alberta's job market, including job profiles and labour market reports.
Access labour market statistics, including employment rates across the country.
Programs
Government of Alberta: Training for work programs
Access programs to help you build skills, start a business, or find work.
Attribution
Unless otherwise stated, the material in this guide is from the Learning Portal created by College Libraries Ontario. Content has been adapted for the NWP Learning Commons in June 2021. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons BY NC SA 4.0 International License.
All icons on these pages are from The Noun Project. See individual icons for creator attribution.