Working in Canada

One of the world’s wealthiest  major industrialized countries, Canada has always been a trading nation and commerce remains the engine of economic growth. It is a member of the G7, the G20, the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the United Nations (UN), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and many other international bodies.

Canada’s economy includes three main types of industries:

• Service industries provide thousands of different jobs in areas like transportation, education, health care, construction, banking, communications, retail services, tourism, and government. More than 75% of working Canadians now have jobs in service industries.
• Manufacturing industries make products to sell in Canada and around the world. Manufactured products include paper, high technology equipment, aerospace technology, automobiles, machinery, food, clothing, and many other goods. Canada’s largest international trading partner is the United States.
• Natural resources industries include forestry, fishing, agriculture, mining and energy. These industries have played an important part in the country’s history and development. Today, the economy of many areas of the country still depends on developing natural resources, and a large percentage of Canada’s exports are natural resources commodities.

While Canada boasts a highly educated workforce and a diversified economy, it is unusual among developed nations in the continuing importance of its natural resources sector (e.g., forestry, mining, energy)—even as it is one of the world’s most computer-literate and technologically sophisticated markets.

The Canadian Dollar is one of the most stable currencies in the world.