Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London
An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Prepared by Sean Quigley, Executive Director, Emerging Leaders London Community Network

info@emergingleaders.com

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

What weve learned

Why?
Emerging Leaders was founded with a focus on attraction, retention, and engagement of the 20 to 44 year old demographic. We focused our questions on the availability and quality of work and how likely was it that respondents would choose to remain in London. This survey gives a valuable snapshot of where we are as a city and how this demographic views working and staying in London.

Learning - other sources

According to a 2007 LEDC report titled Londons Workforce - Historical Trends and Forecast for the Future, London also signicantly lacks people in the 15-24 years old labour force category. Our growth in this age group (-4.36%) is much lower than other communities. It goes on to say, It is logical to predict that if everything remains the same, London will not have enough people to take up positions in the jobs vacated by the retiring population. We are aware the unemployment rate in London hovers around 8.6% but for the youth demographic it is much higher, often 14%. As older members of our workforce were hit by the decline of the economy and were displaced from their jobs they sought employment at lower levels of job entry. The greatest increase in employment is seen in the 45+ demographic.

What we learned from this survey

Of the 280 respondents, 83.7% were between the ages of 20 and 44, and of these 47.9% were between the ages of 30 to 44. We also know that the majority, 63.9%, had a Bachelors degree or higher and that 58.4% of them had full time employment. While 60% of respondents have full employment 21.6% are unemployed orunderemployed, and 70.6% reported that it was somewhat or very difcult to ndemployment in the career of their choice in London. Of note is the 20.6% of respondents who said they were not likely to remain in London in the next 10 years and the 36.5%who said they were only somewhat likely to remain in London over the same time frame.

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Qualitative Analysis - What else respondents wanted us to know

We asked respondents Is there anything else you want us to know about your work experience in London? Overwhelmingly the comments reinforce the difculty of nding work in London, with a number of comments underlining that respondents leave London for work opportunities in other cities. We some of the recurrent themes were of low paying work, difculty nding work unless you have a strong personal network, and the difculty of moving beyond entry level and mid level management positions into more senior roles. Of note were also the comments concerning difculty nding work due to lack of experience. This would seem to reinforce the growth in segments of the older labour market and the success of the older demographic in nding work.

Conclusion and Next Steps

Emerging Leaders believes that the single greatest deterrent to sustained growth is the loss of talent amongst the 20 to 44 year old workforce in London. We recognize, as do others, that there is an urgency around creating partnerships to keep and attract this critical demographic within London. Without this effort we will continue to underperform compared to other cities in our area. Over the summer Emerging Leaders will consult with Government, our community partners, and our membership to create options to partner and move forward. At our Annual General Meeting, September 13th 2012, we will announce the results of our consultation.

Note: The following pages contain the information collected from our survey

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Demographics of Respondents
Do you self-identify as male or female?

Male" " Female "

" "

43.6% 56.4%

Which category below includes your age?

18-20"" 21-29"" 30-44"" 45-50"" 51-59""

" " " " "

7.4% 35.8% 47.9% 6.8% 2.1% 0%

60 or older" "

How Long have you lived in London?

1-4 years" 5 to 10 years" 11-25 years" 25+ years"

24.9%" 23.3%" 28% 23.8%

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Education of Respondents
What is the highest level of school you have completed or the highest degree you have received?

" " " " " "

Less than a High School Degree" High School Degree or equivalent" Some College but no degree"" College Diploma/Degree" Bachelors Degree" Graduate Degree" " " " " "

" " " " "

" " " "" " "

" " " " " "

0% 7.4% 10.5% 18.4% 39.5% 24.2%

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

About Work
Which of the following categories best describes your employment status?

" " " " " " " " " "

Student"

"

"

"

"

" "" " " " " "

" " "

" " " " " " " "

9.5% 12.6% 1.6% 58.4% 10.% 6.3% 1.1% 0%

Employed, part time, working 1-39 hours per week" Employed, full time, working 40 or more hours per week Self Employed"" " " " " " " " " " " " Not employed, looking for work " Not employed, NOT looking for work"" Retired"" " "

Employed, part time, working 40 or more hours per week ""

" " " "

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Do you work for more than one employer?

" " " "

" " " "

" " " "

No"

"

"

"

"

78% 18.3%

Yes, for 2 employers" " Yes, for 3 employers" " "

1.1% 2.7%

Yes, for 4 or more employers""

How many different employers have you worked for in the last 10 years?

1 2 to 4 5 to 9 10+

11.1% 60.5% 25.3% 3.2%\

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Are you working in the career of your choice?

Yes" No"

" "

60.1%" 39.9%

Are you working in a related eld to your preferred career?

Yes" No"

" "

" "

66.7% 33.3%

Has it been difcult to nd employment in your eld of choice in london? Very difcult" " 34.8% 35.8% 29.4%

Somewhat difcult"" Not difcult"" "

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Retention
How likely are you to remain in London in the next 10 years? ! ! ! ! ! ! N o t L i k e l y! ! ! ! ! !! 20.6% 36.5% 42.9%

S o m e w h a t L i k e l y! Ve r y L i k e l y! !

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Comments
Is there anything else you want us to know about your work experience in London? My work experience has been good...but simply because I created a company that now employs 12 people. The process of starting and growing a business in London was not made as easy as it is in other cities. If I weren't self-employed it's highly unlikely that I'd be able to remain in London and nd the type of employment that matches what I do now.

Sometimes the career you had planned isn't where you end up. That's life! I've got a good job, it's just not where I expected to be.

It's really tough to nd a job in London, especially for a new grad! I got lucky and only looked for a job for a few months when I nished school - nished midMarch, got the job in mid-July - but I know a lot of people aren't as lucky as I am. Whether or not I move in the next few years depends on where my boyfriend and I can nd jobs once he graduates from the Computer Technology program at Fanshawe.

My PT position is with a company in Toronto, and I only work 2 hrs/month. I'd be considered underemployed as opposed to employed or unemployed.

The opportunities for growth and advancement is shrinking every year.

London is not very well equipped to handle tech startups. Many high paying tech jobs will leave this area if something is not done. Waterloo is so close, they are eating our lunch.

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

You need to work harder to make it appealing and worthwhile for Western students to stay in London following graduation

It has been difcult to nd employment based on the fact that I am an undergraduate student. Employers are not interested in temporary hiring, so gaining employment from a professional perspective doesn't exist in this city, which makes it hard to supplement what you wish to pursue if you can't even gain experience in it. Then when you do graduate you have nothing to offer employers for history of working in that area. It's extremely frustrating and would be reason to leave the city.

Finding anything beyond retail without having been to university is more difcult than it should be.

it's been great. if young people can't nd a job in their chosen, maybe they should stop blaming other people and look at themselves.

I work on a casual, contract basis and am struggling to nd permanent work, either full or part time.

I came to London for the job, so for me it hasn't been difcult. It's challenging to nd employment in London at a decent wage. Most either only use temps or pay below what a job is worth. This is something I encountered prior to the economic downturn. Unfortunately this makes it less than appealing for people to want to stay in London after earning a degree or diploma. Employment in London is largely part time, contract or occasional. The numbers of people who are unemployed or underemployed in London are astronomical;with agencies like the London Food Bank experiencing high demand that far exceed the resources. If this is going to be the case in London, then the social services need to be reective of these needs.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

There needs to be more part-time job opportunities for student working part time while in school. I would like to be able to nd information about part-time work available on campus (UWO).

London is probably one of the most difcult places to nd a job; related or not. Even just for summer employment. It took me 3 years and nding the job I did was a uke. It is near impossible to nd employment in London. I am a student who is currently unemployed and I can't wait to get out of this city so I actually have a shot at getting a job. Everyone is looking for experienced workers, but no one is willing to offer the opportunity. It is such a tragedy to see so many young people looking for work and not succeeding. London needs to make this a focus, there has to be change.

You might be able to nd a job in the eld of your choice but moving up the ladder in London takes longer than it would in larger job markets (i.e. Calgary, Toronto). For that reason, I may have to leave London in order to advance my career.

very hard to nd entry level jobs in major organizations.

I know many people in their 20's early 30's who are leaving London for better May 24, 2012 11:10 AM opportunities elsewhere. I am concerned that we are not able to retain these skilled workers.

I do not currently work in London due to a lack of quality opportunities in my eld. Because of this, I have made professional connections elsewhere and will likely not return for work.

I would leave London if I could afford to live in another major centre.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

I wish there were more avenues for people in big organizations (which I've always been in) to connect with people in other elds, industries like entrepreneurs and business owners in the private sector. I think there is a lot of potential to share insight from the two different areas. There are some small businesses in London that want to take advantage of recent graduate by offering freelance or part-time work for a substantially low wage. Graduates should be made more aware about what is fair.

I found a job immediately after I nished my maters degree. I had multiple employment offers and no trouble nding meaningful work.

I have been told many times that I do not have enough experience for a job, or that I am over qualied for a job. To me, it does not matter - as long as I have a job and can pay my bills! Just got a job after 2 years of looking and connecting with potential employers. It is a contract position in my eld but with a family to support I couldn't be too selective. In my eld there have been numerous layoffs in the past few years and the London labour market has proven to be a real challenge.

Try and nd ways to break to barriers of the old boys clubs that rule this city. May Help those with the creativity and passion to try new things/ventures to have access to ways to move their visions ahead.

Looking for a job in London has proven very difcult. I may have had better luck elsewhere and am likely going to relocate in the next 3 months.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

London is all about networking. Those who are successful in nding their ideal work are ones who work very hard to build connections and meet people to share their ideas, seek advice and connections and learn about opportunities through networking. I ne people in the community very kind and supportive inhelping people make connections. I think there are lots of opportunities available however people don't always advertise them - all word of mouth. As an organization, helping people build their capacity in networking would be invaluable. Also, there are so many thriving and growing small, independent businesses that do employ people. However, hiring is done through word of mouth. Doing something with a pnael of small business people who can provide tips to those seeking employment would be amazing. In these situations, the business might not be able to hire people into ft roles but would consider contracting people. Example - in my business I hire the services of 5 people who contract with me as required. The world of how people can work is changing dramatically so painting the picture of this would be a gift to those seeking work in their "ideal" eld. There are also lots of people who have held traditional jobs and then set out on their own. Doing some sessions on what it takes to do this would also be a huge gift to people seeking jobs. I think people might benet from learning how to move towards making your own work and building the credibility required to be seen as a trusted service provider to others.

I came to London after working in Toronto - came back to London because my wife and I wanted to start a family and buy an affordable house.

It's very hard to nd work unless you know someone in London

I was fortunate to obtain an internship with my present employer between the rst and second year of my graduate degree. I believe that experience is one of the main reasons for my current position with the same employer.

If you can't nd the job you're looking for...create it for yourself. Also, get out there and get involved with your community and it's organizations.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Small business means nothing to city hall. Local leaders are short sighted and don't know how to get out of the way. I'll take my business and home out of the city at the rst opportunity.

I went into my family business and will be buying my parents out over time so my employment choice and opportunities are very stable. I do feel that educated, qualied individuals do not have good employment opportunities anywhere right now. Most employment opps are for less skilled people like reception/admin.

Based on what others have experienced I am aware my situation is unique, as most people I've spoke with do not nd employment easily, particularly if they are a professional who are new to London or a recent grad.

I am a Sales Manager recently promoted to a provincial role that is typically ran out of the GTA. I was given the opportunity to do the job without relocating because of my history with the company. It is difcult to nd senior management roles in my industry in the London area as it is seen as a regional hub, and stepping stone, as opposed to somewhere to develop a career and establish routes.

Very difcult to nd middle management jobs or above, very easy to nd entry level jobs. Great initiative!! There seems to be a real disconnect between those who want jobs and those who are trying to ll them. Partnerships with local HR associations (eg Strategic Capabilities Network - see Jen Denys) and industry assoc's (eg TechAlliance) could be really benecial. Also - advocacy for on-thejob training, employer driven (not school driven) internship and co-op programs, and career-builder peer to peer programs could all be valuable. Good luck!

When London hires outside of London-it is discouraging. We are a city full of talent and experience and should grow and promote our own Londoners.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

Making a career change is difcult. I would like to make a company change and advance my career to a more senior management position but am nding London to be a closed, who-do-you-know type city. Its extremely difcult to get to decision-makers of the companies and those hiring (i.e. HR)are not skilled at recruitment practices.

I been to many on the employment centres, but they do not seem to work with each other, and their information on job elds outside the basic entry jobs is very low.

My position has not always been essential in difcult times, so I have made myself invaluable by learning pieces of my co-workers' jobs, so that I am a jack of all trades. I also continue to further my education to align with identied gaps within my organization.

Out of my graduating MA class, only two people stayed in London - we both had family commitments here. Everyone else needed to leave in order to nd a job.

London is a very tight economy and hard to break into initially. There are a lot of opportunities available but you have to be very focused and patient to nd the right thing (and it may take years). It's worth it in the end though!

Lots of potential and work in London.

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

I am in a skilled trade --machinist, tool and die and employers say they are starving for these trades. Very few advertise for positions, talked to all machine shops and they are not hiring or have closed and those that may hire do not want to fairly compensate employees - paying slightly above minimum wage forshift work and often have to supervise on night shift is not fair compensation. I went back to school to retrain for this trade about 10 years ago and graduated with honours at the top of my class in Fanshawe and did not seem to make a difference. I am seriously considering going to work out west where I can put my skills to use and be fairly compensated.

It is very difcult to keep young talent in London, especially recent grads. I am not sure what the answer is to improving this but it is something that needs attention drawn to. As a knowledge worker that seeks out creative workplaces, I feel I do have more opportunities here than I would if I were a skilled manufacturing worker. My husband has been out of work twice in the last 4 years and has been able to nd work quickly (within 6 weeks) given his technical/knowledge work orientation, as well. The type of work makes a big difference in terms of opportunity here, I think, so our experience is clearly not representative of the rest of our community given the local unemployment rate.

Going back to school to get my post-grad made all the difference - was able to intern in my eld and get a job from there. I live in London, but I work for a Toronto company. 100% telecommute. I have never actually had to try to nd work in London. I did put some resumes out there a couple years ago, but got no bites, so I wouldn't say it was easy to nd employment here.

Experience is hard to come by. As a recent graduate it is difcult to get a job in the eld you want, because everyone wants someone with experience. No one is willing to take a chance

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

I can only nd short term contracts, no benets, no vacation. There isn't much to choose from here in London. I can foresee myself moving to another city for more opportunities. London should be doing more to retain young, highly educated individuals.

I have been fortunate to answer question 10 the way I did because I have been in my position for the past eight years and haven't been looking. That said, things may have changed now - I was fortunate to move into this position shortly after moving (back) to London.

London is a dying city. Its country-leading cheap housing market, lack of nonMcJob opportunities for uni / coll graduates and ready access to health care is slowly turning London into a mecca for seniors / retirees. Good luck leading change with that demographic reality.

Networking, networking, networking!

I moved to London in Dec of 2010, I have a professional background in communications, being a former business partner and manager in a rm in Ottawa for over 10 years. I made a choice to transition into the non prot sector. I have completed a non prot management course and have made a concerted effort to participate as a volunteer and become involved in the professional associations like LRFE. I understand the importance of establishing a base of contacts through networking. I hope my efforts prove successful and I have full- time employment soon!

I have hit a ceiling in terms of career advancement in my eld and may need to leave to move beyond my current level of responsibility

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Work in London - An Emerging Leaders Perspective

I owe my success to date by having the privilege of having a strong business network and establishing that with some luck at the start. I realize this isn't the norm and I understand there is difculty getting connected - which in itself is a barrier to meaningful employment. I also see that there is a deep divide between baby boomers and the new generation and a failure to see the new realities of "work" which includes work/life balance and nding meaning in one's work. The older generation doesn't seem to understand that young people want to work for employers that "get this" and offer more than a salary.

Watch your back. Londoners treat their community like a high school club and if you're in, you're in and if you're out, you suffer.

need more jobs for youth aged 16 to 25 to help get started

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