Labour market and industry research are a key part of career planning. During your decision-making process, use a broad understanding of the labour market to supplement your occupational research. Also, when preparing for an interview or writing a cover letter, this research can complement a solid understanding of the position and the organization.
WHAT IS IT AND HOW DO I USE IT?
Labour Market Information (LMI) can tell you about local economic activity, growing and declining sectors, and even potential employers. You can use LMI to determine what type of work is actually available in different industries in a particular location at a particular point in time, and make informed predictions about the future outlook.
An industry is defined by the kind of production (goods or services) its organizations are involved in such as education or telecommunications. Industry research targets these specific sectors of the economy.
A cautionary note…
Due to the dynamic nature of the new economy, LMI is time sensitive. It is important to remember that economic predictions are merely educated estimates and are not 100% reliable. Be sure to confirm your research by talking to professionals involved in your field of interest.
Also, remember that industry information is just one component of your career research. When researching possible careers, you must develop a strong sense of your own abilities and interests in order to select a career that is the best fit for you.
Step1- Identify work opportunities –
In this section, you will find current economic reports and Current and Cuture Trends binders which contain articles and reports regarding general trends in the labour market.
Industry specific titles
Be sure to check out some of our industry specific resources, including titles such as Get In The Game, Careers in the Game Industry, The Cultural Industries in Canada, and Biotech Career Guide — Career Opportunities and Educational Pathways in Canadian Biotechnology.
Vault Online Career Library
An encyclopedia of 35 industry profiles from Vault.com, contains information on industry trends as well as profiles of people working in the sector.
Associations Canada
Professional associations can be an excellent source of industry information — often producing industry periodicals or maintaining informative Web sites for their members. Associations Canada is a directory lists 20,000 associations in Canada.
Step 2-THE INTERNET
Try the following sites to get started. If you are not used to research and statistics, read Canada WorkinfoNET’s Using Labour Market Information Effectively to help you make sense of the information (link listed below).
The Alliance of Sector Councils ► www.councils.org
This site links to a variety of sector council sites in Canada, which can be an excellent source for
industry information.
Canada Newswire ► www.newswire.ca
A news database that is searchable by company name or industry sector.
Canada WorkinfoNET ► www.workinfonet.ca/cwn/english/index.cfm?cat=1
A national website with a detailed labour market information and outlook section. Includes information on how to use LMI effectively, communities and regions, Canada wide, world wide, as well as specific occupations and industries.
HRSDC Ontario ► www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/where_you_live/regions/on.shtmlSearch
for labour market and industry information by city and industry.
For an overview of Ontario labour market trends, please visit
► www1.on.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/ojf/ojf.jsp? lang=e§ion=Overview &noc=0000
Jobs Etc ► www.jobsetc.ca/category_drilldown.jsp?category_id=128&crumb=12&crumb=42An HRDC site with job-searching information. Be sure to check out What Trends Will Affect Me and My Work?
Labour Market Information
► http://labourmarketinformation.ca
Labour Market Information across Canada and links to regional and provincial sites.
NewWork News
This site focuses on career and labour market news—updated daily. It also contains a broad variety of general links and articles.
Radical Change Workbook
► www.alis.gov.ab.ca/pdf/cshop/RadicalChange.pdf
This workbook from the government of Alberta features information on labour market trends and incorporates these into a well designed career-planning manual.
Statistics Canada
access to the latest economic indicators for the labour market, and much more.
Strategis Canada
► http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/sc_indps/engdoc/homepage.html?categories=e_bis
Search Industry Canada’s business information site from the business information by sector page.
Surfing for Work
► http://surfingforwork.com/topic.htm?chapterid=31 &chapter=4
Although this online tutorial is focused on British Columbia, many of the research tips and resources are applicable Canada-wide.
WetFeet.com
► www.wetfeet.com/asp/industries_atoz.asp
WetFeet Press has a very detailed job information site with occupational, company, and industry insider guides. Although much of this US-based site is presented only in part, to urge you to buy the complete guide, the industry profile pages provide quite a bit of useful information.
Additional sites
There are a number of private organizations that conduct economic research, such as banks and employment agencies. Here are a few sites to get you started.
- Bank of Montreal ► www.bmo.com/economic
- CIBC ► www.cibcwm.com/research
- Manpower Canada ► www.ca.manpower.com/cacom/ index.jsp?language=en
STEP 3 — PERIODICAL INDEXES
Online periodical indexes can help you locate recent articles on industry trends. Look under the industry name and a list of references will appear if the subject has received media coverage. CBCA (Canadian Business and Current Affairs) or ProQuest are excellent starting points.
STEP 4 — MORE RESOURCES
Business Information Centre, Toronto Public Library
► www.tpl.toronto.on.ca/uni_bus_index.jsp Located in the Metro Reference Library (789 Yonge St.), the centre offers a range of current and historical material in a variety of formats.
Source: www.careers.utoronto.ca
