Many students who are pursuing their undergraduate degree or have already graduated are still looking for jobs that fit the degree they earned.
With high inflation and unemployment rates of 6.2 per cent, these students are forced to look for labor or blue-collar jobs to pay their bills.
Canada focuses on filling labor or skilled trade jobs due to its labor shortage, which has been caused due to various reasons, including having an aging population and many jobs having the option of working remotely.
Known for its beautiful landscapes and scenic mountains, Canada is facing issues with its economy, with no change in gross domestic product (GDP) growth since 2023.
The GDP rate was 1.5 per cent in 2023 and remains unchanged in 2024.
Data released by Statistics Canada on July 16 shows that even though the inflation rate has seemingly slowed by 2.7 per cent since June, the price of basic amenities, such as groceries, is still high.
Minder Kaur, who graduated with a hospitality and accounting degree from Seneca College, chose to work at a grocery store rather than working in her respective field.
“They were offering too low of a salary, which I could not afford at this moment with my rent, groceries and phone bills,” she said.
Currently, she earns $19.89 per hour, whereas jobs in her respective field were offering minimum wage.
Due to the rise of unemployment, Kaur is still struggling to find a job with a salary that helps her with everyday bills and fits her major.
Like Kaur, I came as an inter- national student to Canada with a dream to become a journalist.
I hold a bachelor’s degree majoring in Journalism and yet I still struggle to build a life here.
I have been forced to put my career aspirations on hold so that I can continue to survive in this economy while working odd jobs. But I am holding onto my dream of becoming a journalist.
According to Statistics Canada, international students on average are the highest tuition fee payers in Canada, while also providing an economic boost to the Canadian economy.
According to the Government of Canada’s Economic impact of international Education in Canada’s 2022 report, the contribution of international students including their annual expenditure on education and standard of living is $37.7 billion, which is 1.2 per cent of Canada’s GDP.
In recent years, housing infra- structure and expensive groceries have caused a lot of students and immigrants to go back to their respective countries.
According to Statistics Canada, reverse migration increased by 17.5 per cent over the last 20 years. This is the highest it has been since 1980.
The challenging factor impacting this increase is basic affordability. A lot of students like Kaur have changed their major, with high demanding labor jobs in Canada winning out over their dream jobs.
To survive in Canada, it feels as if you must choose money or your career passion. Basic amenities, housing, goods and services should be affordable for all those working full-time hours in a career of their choosing, without having the fear of not being able to pay their bills.
