Labour shortage: job seekers find work in Montreal

Job-seekers in control at Montreal career fair The latest unemployment numbers show Quebec doing better than the Canadian average, offering some good news for people looking for work

Montreal — Many new Canadians at a job fair on Thursday found work immediately, they said, because Quebec businesses are hiring.

Quebec's unemployment rate is the lowest in the country--tied with British Columbia--according to recent Statistics Canada numbers.

The number means people looking for work are more often in control of their careers.

"All the sectors of the economy are actually hiring: aerospace, IT, engineering, healthcare, manufacturing and we can find different open positions in education," said Eric Boutie, organizer of Thursday's job fair.

Companies like Oasis, which specializes in 3D animation, need skilled workers -- and can't find enough in Quebec.

"Nowadays, we are looking for people from everywhere in the world because there's a lack of artists in Quebec and in Canada," said Gregory Magne, a recruiter at Oasis animation.

Even larger corporations, like Costco, are resorting to new incentives to recruit workers.

"The minimum wage was $13 for Costco, and then we increased it at $15 in order to help us hire people," said Sabrina Marchand, a Costco recruiter.

With files from CTV Montreal's Stephane Giroux