According to the MNP Consumer Debt Index, more than 42% of Quebecers fear that a member of their household could lose their livelihood, up 3% this quarter. The newspaper met her at a job fair in Brossard on Thursday.
“It was a bit of a shock. I have been working in the food industry for 10 years,” confided Antoine to Colin, 33, who was fired two months ago from his position as assistant manager of a supermarket after two years there.
Antoine Colin, 33, hopes to find a job in the government or in an MRC. Photo Francis Halin
“This is the first time I’m on the job market in Quebec,” laments the man, who has a bachelor’s degree in commerce from France. Despite everything, he was optimistic when he was met on the sidelines of the career event on Montreal’s south shore.
According to Frédéric Lachance, licensed insolvency practitioner at MNP in Montreal, the strength of the labor market has eased financial pressures in recent months, but the worst may well be yet to come.
“High interest rates are expected to slow the economy, which will inevitably have negative effects such as an increase in the unemployment rate,” he warned at the release of the consumer debt index on Thursday.
At the beginning of October, Finance Minister Eric Girard was pleased with “very good September employment figures in Quebec” with an increase of 38,700 jobs (+0.9%), but job seekers remained on the ground still seemed to be worried.
In particular, earlier this month, Le Journal reported that there were almost three times as many mass layoff notices last September, 1,305, compared to 491 in September 2022.
“It’s still stressful”
For Caroline Gagnon, director of the largest job assistance center in Quebec, the announcement of the arrival of the Northvolt mega-factory is encouraging.
“It doesn’t surprise me that 42% of people are afraid of losing their job, but it doesn’t worry me. “We have Northvolt, which will establish itself in Montérégie,” emphasized the head of the organization La place à l’emploi, which helps candidates find the right fit.
Caroline Gagnon, director of the largest job assistance center in Quebec. Photo Francis Halin
“If you go to the job fair in Brossard, you’ll see that there are dozens of employers looking to hire,” she recalls. She analyzed that there is often a lack of connection between available positions and profiles.
At the job fair, Le Journal found that candidates were often optimistic, even if some were still in the shock of the waves of layoffs.
“Maybe it’s the situation in the world that worries people,” noted 61-year-old Serge Chagnon, who lost his job as a waiter a week ago. Luckily for the man, the visit was worth it because he was convinced that the phone would ring soon.
“I’m looking at greenhouses or bus maintenance,” he shared.
Just a stone’s throw away from him, 30-year-old Lyvie Tsapy, who has just arrived in the country with a master’s degree in law, was of the opinion that the job market was not easy. “It’s still stressful,” she said. She was eager to put her skills to work for local employers.
Lyvie Tsapy, 30, hopes to find a position in Quebec that matches her ambitions. Photo Francis Halin
“You need some initial experience here, so I started my search as a cashier, in a call center or as a clerk,” concluded the trained lawyer, who was attracted by the recruitment kiosk in the Costco warehouse in Varennes.
Can you share information about this story?
Write to us or call us directly at 1 800-63SCOOP.