Yesterday, I was called for an interview to an office near the CN tower. Luckily this time, the interviewer spoke a bit frankly (in lot of interviews, the interviewers never give out any details). He told me that they received 180 application for that post which paid $ 12-$15.
Now I know that many will say that in a country as big as Canada and in a place where deep recession is going on , 180 applications is nothing. But you have to understand that this position was for a professional job (not labour job) and also that the profession advertised for is a very skilled and where the profession is supposed to have a very limited pool of skilled candidates. Imagine, then as to how many people would be applying for postion relating to trades, Engineering etc...
The interviewer told me that he had called for 9 people to be interviewed and that I was one among them.
I guess that Canadian govt. really needs to either start limiting immigration or else do the following :
1. Lower wages (Bust all unions), lower the standard of living so that more jobs can be created by being competitive
2. Launch massive infrastructure programs (by borrowing money) like creating new towns, developing up north etc..

My personal 2 cents

Peace by a PD

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I am a Gents and not a Ladies.

1.Unions are getting busted.

http://www.thestar.com/wheels/article/753618--oshawa-auto-jobs-have-a-price

Oshawa auto jobs have a price

Some union leaders have applauded new work coming to a vacant General Motors truck plant in Oshawa, but parts industry employees elsewhere in the area say it's causing them misery because they will lose their jobs.

CEVA Logistics, which sorts and delivers parts to auto assembly lines, is close to signing an agreement with General Motors to create more than 110 jobs for laid-off GM workers by moving work from other locations in nearby communities.

However, the agreement between GM and the Canadian Auto Workers to reopen the idle truck plant for new work with much cheaper wages and benefits will trigger shutdowns of at least three other unionized plants in Ajax and Pickering.

CAW leaders initially said the deal had the potential to create hundreds of new jobs for laid-off GM workers in a supplier park inside the truck plant, but one senior official stressed that the intent was not to put other unionized employees out of work or jeopardize their futures.

But it appears that is what has happened here,said Keith Osborne, a CAW staff representative.

At least three plants face shutdowns, including Ryder Logistics in Pickering where about 55 workers are also members of the CAW. CEVA, a multinational company based in the Netherlands, gained Ryder's work from GM and is moving it into the truck plant.

All of us here at Ryder feel that we have been shafted by the CAW,said Larry Reaman, the union's plant chairman.

He added that the Ryder workers, who currently earn between $16.50 and $21.25 an hour, won't get the right to transfer to the CEVA operation at the truck plant, where wages start at $14 an hour with a modest benefits package.

Mike Sargant, chairman for the United Steelworkers at CEVA's plant in Ajax, said employees voted to accept some money in exchange for giving up their transfer rights when the company moves work later this year to the truck plant because they knew laid-off GM workers would get preference.

What irks me is that the CAW is calling these new jobs,Sargant said.It really is just different faces on the unemployment line. In this case, it's us.

Sargant noted that he doesn't think the CAW negotiated contract terms for the truck plant with the intent of eliminating unionized jobs elsewhere.

However that's the way it has worked out,he said. With things the way they are, everyone including unions are scrambling for whatever they can.

Osborne said CAW Local 222 wanted to secure work at the truck plant for laid-off GM workers by winning business from non-unionized companies across North America.

GM would put out the work for bids but the issue we now have is that the company is allowing established union shops to participate in the bid process, he added.

CAW president Ken Lewenza said the situation is indicative of the auto industry's hyper-competitive conditions, with suppliers under pressure from automakers to reduce costs.

It's terrible what's happening to the workers and we have to develop long-term strategies to fight it, he said. Long-time mature suppliers are under risk everyday and this is what happens. Our job is to bring their wage and benefit levels back up.

He said employees should be able to follow their jobs and gain hiring rights when plants close because another company has won the work.

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2.In 2030 the canadian population will be nearly 22% seniors to the current 13%. Who will pay for the social pension of 480 + CPP 934 max + the health care costs which is nearly 50cents on a dollar spent on healthcare.
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3.Recently UPS laid off 1800 manager -supervisor in USA. On an average each guy costed 0.1million to the company which includes salary, healthcare and pension. The company saved 180 million on bottomline in oneshot and the share price went up by 5% immediately.
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4.Companies to have cut cost to survive. The desi companies are putting people on contract and on fixed salaries and making them work longer hours and hence their net hourly wage is less than the ontario wage of 10.25 per hour.

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5.The future will be as follows:

One spouse at 11 bucks an hour and another spouse at 15 bucks an hour which will translate to 50K to 60K per annum per household. This will translate to 20K to 24K per annum for mortgage at 40% of gross. Houses and apartments which will meet this yard stick will sell.

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6.White truck drivers who used to earn 35 to 45 bucks an hour are currently are being replaced by young punjabi youth who charge 14 bucks an hour and they drive truck non stop as 2 youth per truck(one drives and other sleeps). This way they do not stop while the white guy stops for rest. The truck is always on road for punjabi youth and hence they earn nearly the same as the white guy. But the freight company prefers the punjabi as their transportation cost is down by half with this guy. Many a white truckers are pissed off with Desis for doing this.

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7.The Canadian government knows this and they are admitting more of work permits where fresh blood without long term committment is brought in to work as cheap labor.They will contribute taxes but will not dip into pension and social security. BUT the consequence of this will the top wage will dip.
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8.Please tell me when I can get a good B.E mechanical or computer science in Chennai for 10k INR that is 250 CAD per month why should I pay 30 CAD per hour which is 5K per month which is 2 Lacs INR per month if the job does NOT involve physical work/immediate requirement in Canada. If Ford makes its enginne components in Gurgaon or Chennai and can wait for if being shipped on sea from India for 4 weeks and still save money why should it care about Canadian JOBS?.

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9.Please tell me whether you buy Dempsters bread at 2.47 or Great Value at Walmart for 1.47?.

If you buy Dempsters then you can complain about the jobs and salaries going away. If you buy Great Value then you should realize if Walmart can give the same product at half the price and you also buy it at the price then there is somebody working at half the wage somewhere in the world for you to afford it.Hence you cannnot have it both ways that is high wages and low cost.
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10.Actually the Government of Canada can offer an OPTION to existing immigrants that they can sell their green cards to the highest bid to any new immigrant and return back to their country of origin.They will sign a document that they or their family members will not return to Canada nor ask for retirement/health care benefits in future.This way many of us can recoup our losses and some who is willing and can pay could come here.

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11.Don't you think that is what is happening in Australia in a very different way?. That is the common man reacting to the immigration policy in his own way?.

It is all a matter of supply and demand.

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Sunny Leone a true Canadian DESI now back in India !.

I share your concern about the shortage of jobs in Canada. That said, there are some major challenges that the government here, has to face, in order to make more jobs available.
I do not want anyone to take it as a personal affront, or a repudiation of your theories - since this is a forum for discussion, let there be no major fireworks!


The issue of jobs is not as simple, as it looks from the exterior - we live in a global economy, and the politics of managing a country is much more complex than we imagine. On one hand, there is the need to create, and preserve jobs within the country, and also not be seen as a protectionist country. - that is where the problem lies.


Until 1975, Taiwan was considered as China. Then Richard Nixon went to Beijing (then Peking), and established full diplomatic relations with the Peoples republic of China (also known as mainland China). Suddenly Canada, the US, and parts of Europe discovered that China could produce goods at a fraction of the cost. And so, China became a massive factory to produce goods for the globe. Now what were the repercussions? Millions of jobs were lost, and the balance of trade shifted in favor of China. That was as far was as manufacturing was concerned.


Now came the turn of the service sector. Come 2000, there was a major meltdown of the dotcom industry in the US and elsewhere. At first the jobs related to dotcom companies disappeared. Sometime after that, came businesses in North America and elsewhere found that it was cheaper to have work done in third world countries like India. At first, it was the software companies that outsourced their businesses to India, Philippines, Mexico etc, and then it was the turn of Call centers. For a fraction of their cost, they could get work done by skilled professions. At a later stage, companies started their own operation in countries like India, for better control of the products that were developed. Many multinationals like Microsoft, & IBM set up shop in India.


At first everyone in these countries was excited. Someone with a undergraduate degree could get hired in a call center. Others with undergraduate degrees in Math, and computer sciences got hired in what was called "tech companies". This changed the economic scene in the country. Starting salaries in call centers were as high as 20,000 rupees a month and in software companies as much as 30-35, 000 rupees a month. Real estate values went up by as much as 10 % a month in cities like Chennai and Bangalore. The cost of groceries and food went up by as much as 20 % a year. As much as this was nobody's concern, it impacted the common man because everything was set to match the standard of a "software engineer", as there was a sudden influx of "engineers", "techies" and "software engineer" jobs (some of them did not engineer the products - they were merely software testers).


So if you understand the complexity of why jobs are hard to find, firstly North America's loss is the gain in countries such as India, Philippines, & Mexico. Now the question is this - companies are now used to getting products and services manufactured at third world countries at a fraction of a cost. Will these jobs come back? The answer is a qualified "maybe". If countries like USA & Canada become protectionist, jobs might return, but companies that hitherto got products or services outsourced, could have lower profits or even go bankrupt (that is what conservatives and liberals want us to believe). On the other hand, the lobbyists in North America have millions to dole out and make sure that the status quo remains.


So this battle between those who want the jobs back in North America, and those who are pro-outsourcing, will go on. Some jobs might return, but the key would be to create new jobs. Obama himself said that most jobs that went abroad are unlikely to return, even though he did not give reasons for this forecast. If you look at Canada in isolation, it has always been a small economy, with the US being its largest trading partner. Anytime the economy in the US in trouble that has giant repercussions for Canada. That said, for the job market to look up, we can either proactively create new jobs, or wait for the US to come out of the recession. Let us hope the government here goes with plan A.



Personally, I am all for outsourced jobs brought back. At the expense of being called unpatriotic, and selfish, I must say that for two reasons – As much as it might sound laudable “charity begins at home” When millions of jobs in US and here have been lost, there is nothing wrong in wanting that the jobs return – after it is a struggle for survival. Then, these jobs have only created cheap skilled labor, with a disproportionate increase in inflation. That, plus the materialism that followed outsourcing has only made life miserable for a large section of society in these countries. Those in the software industry in India will not agree, but that is the truth.


Tamilkuravan: You wrote that the Canadian govt. really needs to either start limiting immigration or else do the following:

1. Lower wages (Bust all unions), lower the standard of living so that more jobs can be created by being competitive.
2. Launch massive infrastructure programs (by borrowing money) like creating new towns, developing up north etc.

We are at a stage where inflation might go up. In that scenario, the government cannot lower wages. How do you lower the "standard of living"? If you mean the "cost of living", well you have my response in the previous line.


You can't launch massive infrastructure programs; especially build new towns unless the population goes up. Immigration to Canada has been slowed down by the federal government, and the population is not growing either. That said, this is not feasible. Yes the Government can build new transit systems, road, highways and bridges, thereby creating more jobs. That again calls for massive funding without increasing money circulation.

Let us see what happens.

we should concerntrate on massive funding without increasing money circulation. This is the right and only solution. We can see why India is prospering because it attracts funds and investment. If we acquire funds, economic cycle will start and job opportunities will automatically increase.

Now we should brainstorm as to how to acquire massive funding without increasing money circulation?

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The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Mahatma Gandhi

not to mention that by limiting immigration, the so called "high quality of life" in this bloody city will actually get better. Anybody that considers life in the GTA as "high standard of living" obviously has no idea what the standard is meant to be.

I am getting sick of lineups everywhere regardless of the place, date or time. We can also use a new highway to complement the 401 though I don't ever see that happening as long as the Highway to Hell )407) is around). The city planning and infrastructure in GTA is a sad joke and these cities are already over populated. High time our incompetent, cash grabbing government realizes that cramming people in ghetto-ssauga by making houses smaller and smaller and ever closer to each other is NOT the solution. They need to STOP immigration NOW.

But who is listening?

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Microsoft - Which end of the stick do you want today?

Quote:

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Originally posted by ILOVENA


Until 1975, Taiwan was considered as China. Then Richard Nixon went to Beijing (then Peking), and established full diplomatic relations with the Peoples republic of China (also known as mainland China). Suddenly Canada, the US, and parts of Europe discovered that China could produce goods at a fraction of the cost. And so, China became a massive factory to produce goods for the globe. Now what were the repercussions? Millions of jobs were lost, and the balance of trade shifted in favor of China. That was as far was as manufacturing was concerned.


Now came the turn of the service sector. Come 2000, there was a major meltdown of the dotcom industry in the US and elsewhere. At first the jobs related to dotcom companies disappeared. Sometime after that, came businesses in North America and elsewhere found that it was cheaper to have work done in third world countries like India. At first, it was the software companies that outsourced their businesses to India, Philippines, Mexico etc, and then it was the turn of Call centers. For a fraction of their cost, they could get work done by skilled professions. At a later stage, companies started their own operation in countries like India, for better control of the products that were developed. Many multinationals like Microsoft, & IBM set up shop in India.

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Quote:

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Originally posted by ILOVENA

Real estate values went up by as much as 10 % a month in cities like Chennai and Bangalore. The cost of groceries and food went up by as much as 20 % a year.

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You are giving too much credit to North Americans instead of giving credit to Chinese, Indians, Mexicans, ... In 80-90s (before currency crisis in Thailand) ASEAN countries were doing very well.
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Who is giving credit to the North Americans? You just want to score a point, right?
I just chronologically mentioned when the manufacturing base moved to China and Mexico, and the service sector to India. I DID NOT give any credit to North America.

How did the ASEAN countries come into the picture? I did not even mention them.

As for the 10 appreciation of real estate value, my cousin himself made a whopping 100 % profit, selling his apartment in a prime neighborhood of Bangalore. You can also look up archives of India Today 2003-'04 for information about real estate values in Bangalore & Chennai. I have read it one of the issues during that year - unfortunately I can not recall the exact issue.

To quote one blog: ..........\"iv) and Top of all these the so Called \"IT people\" who everybody believes buys these apartments. Still Cannot afford as Real Estate Prices have almost doubled in last 18 month where as salary increase has been just 15-20% max.

http://ecophilo.blogspot.com/2005/03/real-estate-boom-in-india-bangalore.html