Alan2005

back are we?

Nikki Ian

I can not believe that toronto has such a large unemployment issue that not one tim hortons or fast food/resturant/bar ect has any current openings, maybe the op should move to edmonton, most retail/food outlets seem to have signs up looking for work.

on my 10 min drive to work today, i passed 8 large signs outside companies looking for staff, pay ranging from $10 - £20 hr.

if i was down to my last few cents any paid work would do, but maybe thats just me.

Almost Canadian

I love all these posts advising the OP to stay in Canada. "Come to Canada and work for minimum wage"

Siouxie

Well, to be fair the OP did say they were actually happy here, as opposed to unhappy in the UK.. and that their job prospects in the UK were just as bad.

Anyway... jobbank.gc.ca show over 1000 jobs in Toronto at the moment, There are quite a few on kijiji too.

A minimum wage job is better than no job at all - whether in Canada or England, at least in Canada there are good tips to be had too!

Unemployment in the UK is rife - particularly for the 16-24 year olds.

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=12 (Oct-Dec 2010)

The total number of unemployed people increased by 44,000 over the quarter to reach 2.49 million.

The unemployment rate for those aged from 16 to 24 increased by 1.5 on the quarter to reach 20.5 per cent, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1992. The number of unemployed 16 to 24 year olds increased by 66,000 on the quarter to reach 965,000, the highest figure since comparable records began in 1992.



Edit. My son works in a major restaurant chain as a barman. They pay a little more than minimum wage and with tips he made $300 on Saturday night for 6 hours work!

monkeyboy3

Why......because I know what it is like to return to the UK after living abroad and it is not a good feeling.......I have to ask myself why most of you guys on here still actually stay in canada....you must really hate it!

iaink

We have jobs here that pay the bills. Makes a difference to the quality of living I suspect.

If I had the choice of minimum social income existance here, or minimum social income in the UK, even without the added bonus of family and friends around for support, it would take a nano second to decide.

Go back to the UK and regroup, come back to canada when the economy has recovered or circumstances have changed.

Bomber pilots may have got the VC for continuing to the target after their fuel load had passed the "point of no return". but none of them lived long to enjoy it. There is no point in persevering in Canada beyond the point that you cant afford to return to the UK and try again later.

el_richo

So why will the OP hate it?

Alan2005

There is a difference between coming back from a year long holiday and coming back from potential poverty. Scratching a living on min wage jobs is fine if you know that you are just doing it for beer money and it will end in a year - but having that kind of life stretch out in front of you indefinitely is another thing entirely. The OP should go home - welfare here is shitty compared to what's available in the UK. They should probably try and finish their degree even if they hate it - doesn't mean they have to stick to that career. Youthy angst is no reason to screw your life up.

mattieuk

Crickey...not much of a minimum wage fan are you!

Minimum wage is fine to get by in Canada, and a minimum wage job gives you the security, and funds to get set up properly, whilst you look for a better job...

monkeyboy3

he might not each to there own but all I am hearing is "just go home"........what if he doesn't want to quit....what if he does hate it...only he will know......all I am saying is that I go on the Aussie forms and there are guys like some of you just moaning about living over there......they don't know how lucky they are......when was the last time you guys actually lived in the UK!

iaink

Got two brothers there, they quite like it.

When was the last time you lived in a new country and saw your financial safety net unravelling before your eyes?

Ive been unemployed in Canada, its not fun, even with EI to fall back on. With no EI and savings dwindling to the point of no return its no place to stay.

monkeyboy3

yeah well I am here now and trust me it's the pits! Anyway I aint getting into this child like banter.....I am off this forum now.

OP all the best too you and do what you feel is right....only you can decide but follow your dreams......you never know what is just around the corner.

Take care

brizzle

Fancy it do you? Can certainly tell you that I wouldn't. Average hours say 37 x $8 (min in BC). That's the grand total of $296pw, or $592 bi-weekly before deductions. Living on minimum wage would barely cover the rent, let alone saving any money. I earn 3-4 times minimum wage and I'm going backwards financially every month.

Like someone else mentioned, the OP seems young. Get a bar job and at least you'll have tips, some fun etc.

Almost Canadian

I agree with what Alan2005 said above: there is a world of difference between scraping by, knowing that it is for a short period and getting trapped into working for minimum wage indefinitely. I would like to know how all those encouraging the OP to take what he can now believe that situation will improve in the future.

On minimum wage he will be unlikely to be able to put anything by to ensure he can upgrade his qualifications in the future, without that, he will be on minimum wage indefinitely. One assumes it is not simply a matter of the OP being able to fall back on his old career once whatever re-certification he requires is done.

I came here and was prepared to take lower paying employment while I requalified. I wouldn't be prepared to do so if I didn't have a light at the end of the tunnel to look at.

I suspect that there are more in the UK that leave school with a grade 12 and go on to become a success than there are in Canada where, as others have noted time and time again, one needs a certificate to be able to prove one is capable of sneezing.

el_richo

What if he doesn't have an option? Either way, this website is possibly not going to help the OP other than to confuse further with subjective "advice" that may have no reflection on his life or current situation. Taking lifestyle advice onboard from websites such as these are a risk, and in their current situation may not be most suitable.

What if they don't?

Or maybe realisation has set in that the UK isn't as bad as they originally thought as they couldn't see the wood for the trees? Or maybe they left family, friends, and good jobs to go live the dream. Finding out the dream was just that, and/or struggling to make friends, find work, deal with change, and potentially struggling financially may not help. Who knows.

Quite recently, and i very much enjoyed it.

I notice you're not living in Canada yet.