The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted our work. Some of us had to transition to working from home, and others lost their jobs or saw their hours reduced because of public health measures in place.

The Canadian government released a study about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the labour market in New Brunswick.

While some jobs were negatively affected by the pandemic, other jobs saw an increase in demand. Some of these jobs are listed below with the corresponding National Occupational Classification (NOC) code.

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1. Management jobs and business, finance and administration jobs

The following are the jobs that are in demand:

• Computer and information systems managers (NOC 0213)

The level of employment of computer and information systems managers was negatively impacted by the pandemic. However, it is now expected to gradually recover to pre-pandemic levels.

Some employers have found it difficult to find computer and information systems managers with the skills required to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the job.

• Financial auditors and accountants (NOC 1111)

Financial auditors and accountants fared well throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and employees were able to avoid job losses.

This is because the main functions of the job allowed for employees to transition to working from home. In addition, the beginning of the pandemic coincided with the busy tax season. This may have played a role in avoiding layoffs.

In recent years, this job has been in high demand, and some shortage of financial auditors and accountants may be expected.

2. Natural and applied sciences and related jobs

These jobs are usually in industries that were fairly unexposed to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as engineering and design services. In fact, for some jobs in natural and applied sciences, employment increased during March and April 2020, when the rest of the economy was struggling due to the shutdown of various non-essential businesses. Employment in these industries is expected to keep increasing over the next couple of years.

Here are some of the jobs that are in demand:

• Information systems analysts and consultants (NOC 2171);
• Computer programmers and interactive media developers (NOC 2174);
• Computer network technicians (NOC 2281);
• User support technicians (NOC 2282).

3. Health care jobs

There has been a significant increase in demand for health care services because of the pandemic.

The level of employment of health care jobs trended upward for more than two decades, and stabilized in the two years leading up to the pandemic.

Here are some of the jobs that have been positively impacted:

• Licensed practical nurses (NOC 3233);
• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413).

4. Jobs in education, law, and social community and government services

Various teachers saw a significant change in how they do their work after shifting to teaching remotely. Labour shortages have been reported in the francophone school system.

The pandemic caused longer periods of staying at home, which in turn caused a rise in domestic disturbances. This increased demand for social services.

Here are some of the jobs that are in demand:

• Secondary school teachers (NOC 4031) – in the francophone school system;
• Elementary school and kindergarten teachers (NOC 4032) – in the francophone school system;
• Social workers (NOC 4152);
• Early childhood educators and assistants (NOC 4214).

5. Trades, transport and equipment operators and related jobs

More than a quarter of workers in these jobs are over 55 years old. This means that job opportunities may increase as more workers retire.

Job losses were minimal for these jobs. This may be because very few of these jobs are in industries that were hit hard by the pandemic.

Truck drivers were negatively impacted during the beginning of the pandemic because of a lower demand of some goods. However, there has been a shortage of truck drivers in certain cities like Moncton and Saint John.

Here are some jobs that increased in demand:

• Electricians, except industrial and power system (NOC 7241);
• Carpenters (NOC 7271);
• Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511);

How you can immigrate to New Brunswick

If you have work experience, you can use it to apply for permanent residence through Canada’s federal economic class programs such as the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) and the Canadian Experience Class (CEC).

You will need to create a profile on Canada’s federal Express Entry system to apply for any of these federal programs. These programs, however, are only for— what Canada considers— “skilled work.”

All of the jobs listed above would be considered skilled, except for the following:

• Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 3413); and
• Transport truck drivers (NOC 7511).

Express Entry is not your only choice. New Brunswick also has its own Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) with immigration options for those with skilled work experience.

For example, the province has the New Brunswick Skilled Worker Stream for those who have received a full-time permanent job offer in the province.

In addition to Express Entry and the PNP, you may also choose to immigrate to New Brunswick through the Atlantic Immigration Pilot (AIP).

This is a fast-track program that allows employers to hire foreign nationals for jobs that they were not otherwise able to fill. Employers need to be in an Atlantic province in order to be eligible to hire foreigners through the AIP. The Atlantic provinces are: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland and Labrador, and Prince Edward Island.

One advantage of the program is that employers do not need to get a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which is a document that proves that there are no Canadian citizens or permanent residents available for the job.

Also, for a limited time, Canada is offering pathways for essential workers who worked in the country during the pandemic. Nurses aides, orderlies and patient service associates are among 40 healthcare occupations that may apply for immigration through the pathways for essential workers. There are 20,000 spots reserved for health care workers who worked in the country during the pandemic. Applications are open until November 5, or until the intake cap is reached.

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