Job Market Tough in Kelowna.....

[LifeIsTough]

Thanks for the advice from everyone.


I don't feel entitled to start at $20 hour. In fact, I'm fine starting even at $12 hour, as long as its a decent place to work, full time and has benefits.


I've applied for positions that only want emails. Then I get an email response from these places, and they almost downplay the position I applied for at their companies. Are you sure you want to do this job? It's not that great, etc.


I've actually had that happen by email and in person.


I've gone to companies thinking, great, not a bad place to work and there are only 2 to 4 people total, very run down and no lunchroom or bathroom....


I've had interviews and the job described is not what I am doing.


Or you will be unloading and driving forklift all day, etc. When I get there, I'm not doing that at all and something completely different.


Most places will call you and leave a message on your voice mail or answering machine, but I've experienced some companies just doing an email response and asking if I want to even meet them and they're almost downplaying their position at their company.


Or I get the final interview, the company interviews a few other people and then the job gets re-posted next week, worded slightly different and with increased requirements.


I've applied retail for the first time in my life and I've had high success rates and offers. But, part time, close to min wage, no benefits and usually evenings and weekends. Retail seems to be always looking for people because of the high turn around rates.

[Glacier]

Have you considered moving to greener pastures?

[alfred2]

you just do not want to work, or you feel very entitled.

[LifeIsTough]

Will I do "any" job? NO.

There's something called rent, mortgage, bills, etc.

If you're retired with no mortgage, then you can work any job, have that option and enjoy it. But for the rest of us working people with mortgages, kids, etc. and are supporting the economy, we can't work for peanuts.

I don't think people are lazy and don't want to work. I think people just want to do a job they would sort of like and its decent.

People don't stay at companies that pay poor wages, poor raises, and they get treated badly by the management and owners. They move on and these companies are constantly looking for people.......its the companies that are at fault.

Do people think they are entitled? Again, if you are in your prime, mortgage, kids, etc. you "need" those better paying jobs. It's money needed to pay the monthly bills. If you're out of the game, retired with no mortgage, you can't really speak for those who are.....

I think all the people from Alberta will leave Kelowna once they're realized wages here are low and decent jobs are few and far in between.

Myself, I have 3 years left on my mortgage and I'm currently debt free. Credit cards and line of credit $0 as well. So, I'm just looking for something decent that I would sort of enjoy. That's it. I don't care if its $20 hour or $12 hour to start. But from what I've learned, many jobs in Kelowna aren't great and these places will always be looking for people.....

[SmokeOnTheWater]

Myself, I have 3 years left on my mortgage and I'm currently debt free. Credit cards and line of credit $0 as well. So, I'm just looking for something decent that I would sort of enjoy. That's it. I don't care if its $20 hour or $12 hour to start.

That's excellent.
Good luck in your search.

[LifeIsTough]

Thank you.

I definitely don't feel entitled. I just want something decent, enjoyable and I do it year after year. Money will come later.

Reason I don't work in Lake Country, driving distance is too much for the wages over there and the gas increase, maintenance and insurance increases isn't worth it. Starting at $13 to $13.33 hour in Lake Country is a joke.

If more retail offered full time with benefits instead of part time with no benefits, retail wouldn't have such a high turn around rate.

I'm not working graveyard shifts for min wage 20+ hours week.....

[lesliepaul]

There are a large number of small business's here, be it plumbing, electrical, heating (not all) or my favorite.......KELOWNA'S HUGE TECH INDUSTRY that you would think would like to have long term employees........not true. So many of them go through employees monthly and several owners I know personally have told me that there is ALWAYS someone who will get into so many of these trades at LOW wages and after 6 months or a year move on to "greener pastures" and almost always away from the Okanagan. So many of these smaller companies have "thrived" doing business this way. If they get caught short with employees when it gets busy and cannot meet demand........"just part of doing business in KELOWNA"........maximize profit for owner at all costs.

[Farmmaa]

Most retired people don't work...thus, the whole retired thing.

You keep harping on the notion that people in your age group are the only ones who have mortgages, bills and families to support. You honestly think that once you're over 40 your life is automatically set for you and all of your debts and payments are wiped clean ??

We get it...retail jobs suck.
So, why do you keep applying for retail jobs ?
Take a look at how many landscape jobs are in the classifieds. You don't need experience with a lot of companies....just be fit, strong, reliable and you usually start at around $15-$16 and hour. Yes, the work is 'seasonal', which in Kelowna usually means 8 to 9 months of the year...but it sure seems like a much better bet than sitting at the computer complaining about not being able to find a decent job. No ?

How many construction sites did you get to today ?

[LifeIsTough]

Absolutely 100% correct.


Many smaller businesses that pay poor un-competitive wages go through people every year, always needing those same positions filled.


My ex boss does the same thing. He loves to hire 16 to 20 year old kids for $12 hour, even min wage or less, he did that once, and tells these kids the shop is amazing, lots of room to grow and the benefits are awesome. Benefits are only Blue Cross and medicore at best. The kids within 1 year realize the shop isn't what he says and they all quit.....I saw so many people quit and get wrongly layed off, he could have 3 new shops. His rep is so bad, he hires from other countries and the other side of Canada. He doesn't want ticketed certified workers because he has to pay them more. He's layed off people he likes the least, no seniority and rarely calls them back. Never pays out earned severance pay either, here's a broom, want to work? Or lays you off, your job is on a job site, people go to labor relation, boss has to call them back and pays them entry level wages, or you get hurt and he pays you under the table, lies to WCB, or he paid a ticketed welder to sign for jobs at the shop when we had no ticketed welder.... I'm glad I'm out of that place......but I will never write an online review about my former shop and boss because it would seriously damage him.


I've heard from employers that $15 an hour is too low to start and they even raise the wage to $16 hour now. These are physical jobs.


Some employers expect you to be a jack of everything but pay you $15 to start.....job is posted again a few months later.

[LANDM]

I think we can all agree.....life is tough.....for you. I don't think you realize the subtle and not so subtle negativity that you impart.

[Grandan]

There are a large number of small business's here, be it plumbing, electrical, heating (not all) or my favorite.......KELOWNA'S HUGE TECH INDUSTRY that you would think would like to have long term employees........not true. So many of them go through employees monthly and several owners I know personally have told me that there is ALWAYS someone who will get into so many of these trades at LOW wages and after 6 months or a year move on to "greener pastures" and almost always away from the Okanagan. So many of these smaller companies have "thrived" doing business this way. If they get caught short with employees when it gets busy and cannot meet demand........"just part of doing business in KELOWNA"........maximize profit for owner at all costs.

If it was easy to start a company in Kelowna doing any of the above, everyone would be doing it. A starting wage person does not know enough to even comment on the way an employer runs a company until he has done it himself. Kelowna has sucked the life out of many entrepreneurs who did not understand the market and the number of competitors in it. People have lost big on investments in signage, office supplies, renovations, training when the market they were targeting did not materialize. All this was job creation except for the fact that the owners do not have endless cash to keep paying louts who do nothing but complain. Buddy, who has never had to run his life outside the cacoon of family and school does not know dick about what is needed to make a company sucessful. Too many of these snot nosed punks think that a job is where you can play on your phone all day and get paid for it. Minimum wage is too high a wage for some of these idiots.

[W105]

don't know why everyone is giving the OP such a hard time...he worked at his last place for over 10 yrs, and he's a home owner...(doesn't seem like he isn't giving it his all to me)

seems his biggest *bleep* is finding a good employer and he's definitely right that this town has a alot of crappy employers who abuse their staff...

[Atomoa]

He loves to hire 16 to 20 year old kids for $12 hour, even min wage or less, he did that once, and tells these kids the shop is amazing, lots of room to grow and the benefits are awesome. Benefits are only Blue Cross and medicore at best. The kids within 1 year realize the shop isn't what he says and they all quit.....I worked there 10 years and saw so many people quit and get wrongly layed off, he could have 3 new shops.

Page 1 of the Kelowna business owner's manual.

Page 2 is "make promises of advancement which will never materialize".

9.4% unemployment. Surplus of desperate suckers battling homelessness and starvation. Make them promises and they will hear angels sing. Lifestyle businesses not reinvesting in the business, using it as a giant cash machine while cycling employees every few years until it's time to pass the business off to the son/daughter. "Thanks for visiting Kelowna and propping up my family - bye bye"

[LifeIsTough]

Yup, I'm a home owner with no mortgage in 3 years.

No other debts, all paid off.


All I am trying to do is find a place that is decent, sort of enjoyable and just do my job and come home. That's it. I don't need $20+ hour, in fact I'm fine starting at $12 hour.


Yes, there are many bad companies and employers in Kelowna. Since my layoff, I have gone to Work bc and fine tuned my resumes with cover letter and interviewing skills. I've had great success with getting interview and job offers. Sometimes three calls and interviews in 24 hours. Or currently, 6 offers in the last week. So, yes, I'm looking for work and not sitting on my bum. Even this morning, I had another job interview and should hear by Monday.


One retail outlet - they really want me, etc., part time, $11.65 hour, no benefits until full time, evening shifts and weekends

At a hotel - also really want me, part time 32 hours week until the other guy leaves, then 40 hours week full time, $11 hour, 6 months before benefits and days / evening shifts

Major fruit company - I start Wednesday, $16 hour part time leading to full time, probably evenings 4pm to 12:30am, after probation medical dental msp

Another glass company - I should hear by Monday, start Wednesday. full time, $16, days, monday thru friday but no benefits at all

Aircraft company - had phone interview last monday, told second interview in about 1 week, so maybe by this monday, $12.61 to start, full time, benefits after probation, days , evenings and occasional over nights.

Appliance company - had my in person interview 1 week ago, my 2nd interview yesterday, the manager was fired and replaced during that time, 30 - 40+ hours week, days, benefits, but extremely heavy appliances, helping truck driver with deliveries.


That all in the last week.


I'm hoping for the aircraft company because it would be different, enjoyable and could lead to a career.

I could do the fruit company but permanent evenings, I would never see my wife. She works days.

The other glass company is days, would spend time with my wife, just no benefits. Wife and I would get a benefit package for ourselves and split the monthly costs.

Appliance company sounds like fun but not great when you get older......

Retail place is just that, crap. If I was retired and didn't need money, I would work there.

Hotel would be cool but again no money being made.


Out of 6 places, only 2 or 3 worth doing.


I applied for another job today in landscaping. I have the requirements but they still may want more direct work exp even though its not mentioned......


The friend of mine who lost his construction labor job recently, tells me, getting a job in concrete, construction, trades, is very tough because almost everyone wants exp, even for entry level positions.

[Even Steven]

Working for an aircraft company sounds kinda cool with potential. Is it Kelowna Flightcraft?

Think about going into aviation mechanics field if you start there. Those guys are always in high demand. A friend of mine got his diploma and aviation companies across Canada call him offering jobs, not the other way around. Life ISN'T tough for him.