Tip Sheets

Labour Market Information: Sources

Labour market information is the information you need to make sound decisions about your future. It includes information about occupational options, training programs, employment opportunities, industry growth and anything else you might want to know before making an employment-related decision.

This article groups sources of labour market information into three broad categories:

		word of mouth
		print sources
		audio, video and electronic sources.

For information about Internet sources in particular, check out Labour Market Information on the Internet (see Other Relevant Tips).

Word of mouth

One of the most popular ways to gather labour market information is to talk to:

		family members, friends, neighbours, co-workers and others you meet as you go about your daily life
		people at trade shows, conferences and seminars
		others who work in occupations or industries that interest you.

Don’t be shy. Ask people if they have any suggestions about where you might find the information you need. Most people are happy to share their knowledge or refer you to someone else who might know.

Talking to people is an excellent way to verify and expand information you have already gathered from other sources. If you have read about an interesting occupation, you may want to get the full, inside story by talking to people who actually work in that occupation. Or you may want to get the inside scoop on what it is like to work for a particular employer.

Print sources

		The career and business sections of newspapers often have articles about economic, industry and business trends. You can also learn a lot about which companies are hiring and which occupations are currently in demand by reading advertisements in the classified section and the rest of the paper.
		Trade magazines publish articles and advertisements related to a specific field. To find relevant trade publications, ask at your local public library or talk to people in a related professional association or union.
		Non-fiction books may provide more detailed labour market information. For example, futurists look at trends in society and the workplace and try to predict what will happen in the future.
		Unions and professional associations prepare reports about wage levels and working conditions and predict employment needs for specific occupations.
		Local economic development offices and Chambers of Commerce often provide information about the current business climate and local opportunities.
		Depository libraries have copies of studies, reports and other documents produced by publicly funded organizations such as Statistics Canada and economic development offices. For information about depository libraries in your area, call your local library.

Audio, video and electronic sources

		Many radio stations broadcast informational programming and talk shows, which can be a source of labour market information.
		In a weekly television guide, you will find many potential labour market information sources. When you watch shows that relate to your career interests, evaluate the information they provide about the current labour market and future trends. Does it sound realistic?
		Audio-visual materials such as compact discs, digital video discs and video cassettes may also contain information that is relevant to your situation. These materials are available at Alberta Employment and Immigration service centres. For information about the service centre nearest you, call the Career Information Hotline at 422-4266 in Edmonton or toll-free at 1-800-661-3753.

Since people and publishers often have different points of view, it is a good idea to verify information by consulting more than one source. The best approach is to listen to what people say but also do some research at your local library or Alberta Employment and Immigration service centre.

Other Relevant Tips Information Interviewing for Career Options Labour Market Information on the Internet For more, visit the TIPS home page at alis.alberta.ca/tips

Additional Reading Change and Transitions, Labour Market Information for Your Business: A practical guide and Making Sense of Labour Market Information produced by Alberta Employment and Immigration. For copies of these publications:

		download an online copy or order the publication from the Publications website at alis.alberta.ca/careershop
		call the Alberta Career Information Hotline at 1-800-661-3753 toll-free or 780-422-4266 in Edmonton
		visit your local Alberta Employment and Immigration service centre. To find the centre nearest you, call the Alberta Career Information Hotline.

Last Updated: May 26, 2006