Canada’s best (and worst) cities for finding work right now

Want to make a career move? Literally. A new regional labour market report from BMO has ranked Canadian cities according to their levels of job and population growth to determine the best spots for finding work. Here’s a look at the ten towns that topped the list.
1. Guelph, Ontario
Annual population growth: 1.2 per cent
Annual employment growth: 9.1 per cent
Unemployment rate: 4.2 per cent (down 0.9 per cent year-over-year)
Employment rate: 72 per cent
2. Regina, Saskatchewan
Annual population growth: 2 per cent
Annual employment growth: 1.1 per cent
Unemployment rate: 4.5 per cent (up 0.5 per cent in a year)
Employment rate: 69.8 per cent
3. Quebec City, Quebec
Annual population growth: 0.7 per cent
Annual employment growth: 4.7 per cent
Unemployment rate: 4.9 per cent (down 0.5 per cent in a year)
Employment rate: 66.3 per cent
4. Moncton, New Brunswick
Annual population growth: 1.3 per cent
Annual employment growth: 6.3 per cent
Unemployment rate: 6.2 per cent (down 0.6 per cent year-over-year)
Employment rate: 63.9 per cent
5. Vancouver, British Columbia
Annual population growth: 1.9 per cent
Annual employment growth: 4.2 per cent
Unemployment rate: 5.7 per cent (down 0.3 per cent in a year)
Employment rate: 62.3 per cent
6. Edmonton, Alberta
Annual population growth: 2.3 per cent
Annual employment growth: 3.7 per cent
Unemployment rate: 6.2 per cent (up 1.4 per cent year-over-year)
Employment rate: 69.8 per cent
[View jobs in Edmonton]
7. Toronto, Ontario
Annual population growth: 1.7 per cent
Annual employment growth: 4.7 per cent
Unemployment rate: 7 per cent (down one per cent in a year)
Employment rate: 62.6 per cent
8. Kingston, Ontario
Annual population growth: 0.8 per cent
Annual employment growth: 6.5 per cent
Unemployment rate: 6.5 per cent (down 0.2 per cent year-over-year)
Employment rate: 61 per cent
9. London, Ontario
Annual population growth: 0.9 per cent
Annual employment growth: 3.8 per cent
Unemployment rate: 6.2 per cent (down 1.1 per cent in a year)
Employment rate: 60.3 per cent
10. Winnipeg, Manitoba
Annual population growth: 1.5 per cent
Annual employment growth: 2.4 per cent
Unemployment rate: 6.1 per cent (up 0.4 per cent in a year)
Employment rate 60.3 per cent
On the flip side, the lowest ranked cities in Canada for finding a job are:
Kelowna, BC (unemployment 6.7 per cent),
Saint John, NB (unemployment 7.7 per cent),
Peterborough, ON (unemployment 7.6 per cent),
Windsor, ON (unemployment 9.7 per cent), and
Sudbury, ON (unemployment 8.4 per cent).
Read the full report from BMO. [Opens as a PDF]