Moncton hiring event draws hundreds of immigrant job-seekers

Hundreds of immigrants and international students turned out to the largest newcomer job fair in Moncton on Wednesday, as businesses from around the region looked to fill positions in a tight labour market.

At the Avenir Centre, nearly 1,000 job-seekers registered to meet with 40 employers in fields ranging from banking to manufacturing.

Angelique Reddy-Kalala, an immigration strategy officer for the City of Moncton, said the turnout was the largest since the job fairs began five years ago with just a handful of employers.

"We're almost at full employment in our region, and we really rely on international talent coming in to make sure that we can continue our community's growth," she said.

"We know that employers are really struggling to fill positions."

With high job vacancy rates in New Brunswick, a growing number of employers are hiring immigrants. The proportion of immigrants and non-permanent residents in the province's workforce was up to about 8.8 per cent in 2022, rising from 4.6 per cent in 2016, according to Statistics Canada.

The province's job vacancy rate is 4.7 per cent, slightly below the national average.

Many of the employers at the job fair were attending for the first time, while several were back after previously finding success in hiring newcomers.

Bert Sonier, vice-president of operations for Maritime Hydraulic, was at the job fair for a second time to recruit for four positions. The Moncton-based company manufactures equipment for offshore oil, gas and energy infrastructure.

"There's not a whole lot of skilled workers left here in Canada, so new people coming in seem to be an excellent opportunity," Sonier said. "At the moment, people with experience are very scarce."

At his first time attending a newcomer job fair, Sonier said, he found a skilled industrial mechanic from Ukraine who has been an "excellent worker" for the team.

"You never know how these things work out, but they're working out excellently, so we're going to be trying to hire some more," he said.

The big turnout also comes as the city and province welcome high numbers of immigrants and people relocating from other parts of Canada. Moncton is now the fastest-growing metropolitan area in the country.

Jovita Soares arrived from India in December, after her husband came to Crandall University for a master's degree. She worked in financial services in her home country and was looking for an administrative position under her open work permit.

"As newcomers you don't know a lot of people, and that's the reason you should attend networking events and career fairs like these. I think that's the approach I'm going to take."

Soares said she would have liked to see more opportunities for on-the-spot interviews and job offers. But she's optimistic about her job prospects after meeting with several employers.

"Lots of opportunities," she said. "It's just I hope they convert into a job."

Chau Nguyen immigrated from Vietnam six years ago. She was trying to fill up to eight positions at her two businesses: a special care home and a daycare.

Nguyen said it's been challenging to find qualified employees, but she's optimistic after receiving many applicants, particularly from Ukraine.

"It's a very big opportunity to contact new immigrants looking for a job and who really want to work," she said.