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More Canadians on the move for better opportunities in other provinces

Kieran Thomas graduated in July 2009 into one of the weakest job markets since the great depression.

The Montreal native completed an undergraduate degree in engineering at the University of Waterloo and quickly learned that getting a job close to home was an unlikely possibility.

"There were little to no jobs in Ontario or Quebec for new grad engineers, and the ones that were available were not very interesting and had very low starting salaries," Thomas, 27, said. "Most of my friends ended up going back to school for a master's degree to wait out the poor job market."

Looking back on it now, Thomas considers himself lucky. He didn't get a job in Ontario or Quebec, but did get a job. During his co-op program he did six work terms, three of which were in Alberta, so when it came time to apply for jobs he suddenly had some experience in the oil and gas industry.

"Shell made me a much better offer than any Ontario or Quebec company, both in terms of salary, benefits and vacation time," he said.

Thomas is far from alone is having to move for a better opportunity.

"Of the nine engineers at the plant, only one is originally from Alberta," he said. Clearly, when the economy starts to pick up in certain parts of the country people start to migrate.

Last year more than 300,000 Canadians migrated from one province to another for work, school or to get a fresh start. According to Statistics Canada, Ontario has had the most number of people leave and Alberta has had the most people move there every year since 2005.

Click on the image to see the full infographic by Cash Money.
Click on the image to see the full infographic by Cash Money.

The highest number of people moving occurred in the 70s and 80s, but the numbers now are higher than we saw in the 90s.

According to a recent report by TD, "The chief incentives for interprovincial migrations are economic, as individuals and households look to improve their standard of living."

"You do see one per cent of the population engaging in interprovincial migration so there have been increases (over the past couple years)," said TD economist Jonathan Bendiner. It's similar to what happens during times of economic recovery, he added. People want to see where the jobs and higher salaries will be and then they start moving.

"It's good in a sense if someone has a skill set and it can be better used in another province," Bendiner said. "It's a net gain for the country as a whole, but there are winners and losers."

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All the net gain now has been going to Alberta and Saskatchewan because of oil and commodities, but Bendiner expects Newfoundland and Labrador will become a winner in 2013 with more oil production to come on-line.

The biggest reason why people like Thomas move is money and opportunity. On average, men who migrate saw a 15-per-cent increase in wages over the previous year and women saw a 12-per-cent increase. Men and women who stayed put saw an eight-per-cent increase. Despite the higher potential salaries, only about 20 per cent of Canadians are willing to relocate, and a lot of that has to do with the challenges.

"I moved to a town of 3,500 people ... knowing absolutely no one," Thomas said. "Leaving my friends and family was probably the hardest part."

The probability of a Canadian between 20 and 24 moving for work is five times that of one who is 45-54.

"The first few years it didn't feel like home, but now that we have made so many great friends in town it has become home," he said.

Thomas lives in Pincher Creek with his girlfriend, who moved there from Burlington shortly after he got the job. While they both enjoy all of the outdoor activities that come with living near the Rockies such as skiing and mountain biking, Thomas shares some of the challenges the future may bring.

"Having a young family away from grandparents and family would be difficult, but the job market has not yet recovered (in Ontario or Quebec)," he said.

For now, he is enjoying the job, the activities and the salary. "Moving back to a concrete jungle will take some convincing."

(Image courtesy of Kieran Thomas)