Science, health sectors have greatest job growth potential, Quebec predicts

If you want a shot at landing a good job in Quebec in the next three years, look in the science, health and business sectors.

But if you want to work in transportation,manufacturingor the trades, be prepared to look a little harder.

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That's according to new figures provided by the Quebec government.

The Ministry of Labourrated 500 types of jobs based on their expected demand from 2015 to 2019 across the province.

Topping the listare accountants, financial agents, nurses and doctors. Tradessuch ascarpenter, electrician and machinist, on the other hand, are expected to be in low demand.

The government calculates job prospects based on two factors: the forecastfor labour requirementsin each sector and the unemployment rate for different specialties.

It then assigns each job type a rating of favourable, acceptableand restricted for each region of the province.

These ratingsare by no means a guarantee that job-seekers will find (or be denied) work in theirfield,but they serveas indicators of what jobs will be indemand.

The chart below shows how many jobs in each sector received a "favourable rating" for the whole province.

Most of these jobs are highly specialized and demand lengthy training.

Here's a list of jobs that have been given "favourable" ratings in most of Quebec's regions, in no particular order:

• Network technicians.
• Preschool teachers.
• Couple therapists.
• Social workers.
• Health science technicians.
• Pharmacists.
• General physicians.
• Specialist doctors.
• Nurses.
• Auditors and accountants.

And these are the jobs with the most "restricted" ratings across most regions:

• Sheet metal workers.
• Receptionists.
• Printing press operators.
• Electricians.
• Ironworkers.
• Plastic and rubber product workers.
• Carpenters.
• Construction workers.

The government also published the expected growth rate for each sector for all regions of theprovince. Overall, mining is forecastas the top industry, with an average annual growth of 3.3 per cent until 2019. It's followed by health care and non-metallic mineral manufacturing.

Computer and electronic manufacturing, printing and forestry are at the bottom, expected to shrink by 1.3 to 2 per cent a year.

The picture is slightly different for the Montreal region. Fabricated metal manufacturingand food industries are expectedto grow the most in the metro area.

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This chart shows the anticipated growth for all sectors in Quebec and Montreal.

There is a great deal of variation across the province. Quebec's regions have distincteconomies, with their own labour needs.

This map shows the top industry for each region.

To see a larger version of the map, click here.

No guarantees

Economist AndrewSharpecautioned thatthese projections should be taken with a grain of salt.

"There's a lot of uncertainty associated with these types of forecasts," said Sharpe, the executive directorof the Ottawa-based Centre for the Study of Living Standards, explaining that it's difficult to predictthe future of specific industries or the economy in general.

"You should never go into an occupation if you don't have an aptitude for it, just because of a government projection."

Sharpeadded that the categories fail to single out keysectors, such as video game production abig source of jobs in Montreal.

Quebec's unemployment rate is now 6.6 per cent after a strong 2016.The national rateis 6.9 per cent.

Labour MinisterFranoisBlaissaid the government would "continue to support workers so that they have access to training so that they can acquire the specialized skills to fill the many jobs to be filled in the coming years."

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