The COVID-19 pandemic has transformed economies around the world and ensuing job outlook for many countries and the work opportunities for immigration candidates. Canada is no exception. To understand how the COVID-19 pandemic will impact the job outlook for Canada in 2022, it is necessary to look at the Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS), a report released by the Canadian government on the job outlook for every decade. The COPS report released in 2019 covers the period between 2019-2028. This report will give an idea of the job outlook in 2022 and job opportunities if you decide to work in Canada.
Considering the fact that this report was released in 2019, it may seem counterintuitive to rely on this report for the job outlook in 2022. However, the COPS report focuses on long term trends for the job market which are not expected to be influenced by the economic and labor market changes brought about by the pandemic.
COPS report
According to the report by COPS, the economic growth in Canada is expected to create 1.7 million new jobs which comes to annual average growth rate of 0.9% in the next ten years. The following graph from the report illustrates the industries that are expected to have the strongest growth between 2019-2028.
The report predicts strong growth in industries that are related to production or those where there is a high degree of labor intensity.
The rapid advance in information and communication technology will compel Canadian companies to improve their ICT systems which translates to more job opportunities in the IT field.
The report also predicts job opportunities in the healthcare sector due to an ageing population.
Industries with fastest growth
Industries projected to post the strongest growth in employment (i.e. above or around 0.9% annually) are also those projected to post the strongest growth in production or those that are characterized by a high degree of labor intensity. Below are some of the key drivers expected to support output and job creation in those industries:
The report predicts that 75% of the projected employment growth in the next 10 years is expected to be in high-skill occupations as businesses are becoming more knowledge-intensive and automated.
10 occupations that are expected to have the stronger employment growth over the projection period. It shows that most of the 10 detailed occupational groupings with the strongest projected employment growth are in the health and IT sectors.
Top 10 Occupations with the Strongest Annual Average Employment Growth, 2019-2028
| NOC | Occupations | Growth Rate (2019-2028) |
| 3111 | Specialist physicians | 3.2% |
| 3011 | Nursing coordinators and supervisors | 3.5% |
| 3112 | General practitioners and family physicians | 3.2% |
| 3012 | Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 2.9% |
| 3142 | Physiotherapists | 2.7% |
| 3120* | Optometrists, chiropractors and other health diagnosing and treating | 2.6% |
| 3143* | Occupational therapists & Other professional occupations in therapy and assessment | 2.6% |
| 4212 | Social and community service workers | 2.6% |
| 3413* | Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates & Other assisting occupations in support of health services | 2.6% |
| 2173 | Software engineers and designers | 2.3% |
Source: ESDC 2019 COPS Projections.
Canada is the top overseas work destination
Job outlook-top occupations
Based on this report here is a list of occupations which are expected to have a positive job outlook for 2022. Professionals in these fields can consider migration to Canada with a job:
Information technology (IT)
IT professions in Canada will continue to play an increasingly important role with more Canadian companies adopting practices such as automation, remote work, and virtual commerce. In Canada, an increasing number of organizations are willing to implement a remote or hybrid work culture for their employees.
Software
There is expected to be a demand for software engineers and software programmers from overseas countries. The popular job roles will include software developers, database analysts, network engineers, and business system analysts.
New innovation in software and technologies such as AI, 3D printing and Blockchain will continue to create opportunities for professionals in this field.
Average annual salary by occupation
| Occupation | Average annual salary |
| Information technology | 67,995 USD |
| Software | 79,282 USD |
| Finance | 63,500 USD |
| Engineering | 66,064 USD |
| Healthcare | 42,988 USD |
Engineering
The job outlook for the engineering sector in Canada is positive. The rise of new engineering disciplines, as well as the demand for competent employees in these fields, will provide an excellent opportunity for educated immigrants with engineering talents.
Finance
With technological advancements in the finance sector, finance experts who are ready to migrate into new fintech technological solutions will be in high demand.
Around 23,000 jobs in the financial sector are expected to be generated by 2028.
Healthcare
In 2022, healthcare occupations will likely be among the most lucrative in Canada. This means that international healthcare professionals will have a lot of opportunities in Canada. In 2022, jobs such as nurses, surgeons, psychologists, and physicians will have more demand.
In the next years, Canada is expected to address job shortages once more, and more actively than before COVID-19, especially when 9 million baby boomers reach retirement age in the following decade.
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What is the job outlook for Canada for 2022?
Posted on November 25, 2021