I see postings on here a lot about unemployment. Scroll through and you will see many more. I don't think it is just BC either. When you look at stats Canada unemployment rate for Canada it says it's 7.1% but when you look at unemployment for the ages 25-54 it's more like 14%. I have a couple of friends with high levels of experience and education that have hidden that information to restart at lower playing jobs so it must be hard to be unemployed right now. I'd say if you can self contract while still looking for work that is ideal. Keep busy by volunteering, self contracting and networking as much as you can. Choose things you like to do for volunteer work that will also connect you to others.If you would ideally stay here you can still be proactive and keep positive, while still applying to other cities in case a really good opportunity comes up. If you get a really good job somewhere else then you might be able to afford to fly home and help out with your parents. Best of luck to you, I hope you find the work that suits you soon.

know it's bad. With an election next year and the barrage of feel-good government ads how could it not be.

When the word "overqualified" is used, it could very well be that they think you're too old. My dad basically lost his job in his 50s, and was never hired on permanently again after that. I'm not saying that's going to happen to you, OP, but keep in mind when suddenly in an interview THAT THEY BROUGHT YOU IN FOR, they tell you that you're "overqualified". Surely, they saw all your credentials on your cover letter and resume BEFORE you arrived for an interview. Why would they bring you in for an interview in person, other than to visually size you up? I have no idea if you're a "young looking mid-40s" person or an "older looking mid-40s" person, but ageism in hiring is rampant. Even more so in the USA. Companies have their choice in hiring so sometimes they prefer the younger worker who will accept a far lower wage than a very experienced person (who they expect will be more demanding in wages, benefits, career track, etc.).

Keep up the job search. I know it's tough, but keep trying. Remove dates from university or high school graduation if necessary to minimize age discrimination. You ask if it's better to up and go look for work elsewhere: it depends on your field and whether the city you're going to is robust in hiring in your area. Job searching is so hard; I would suggest to stay closer to friends and family for the emotional support.

Give Work BC a shot for free cover letter and resume re-working with a professional, free copier and printer services, free internet. They helped me find a great job.

Best of luck to you.

I agree about the ageism and the overqualified bs completely. At the age of 47 I lost a career I'd worked very hard and successfully at for 25 years. Due to circumstances at the time I ended up having to consult for a few years but was unable to fully support myself doing that. Eventually I realized I'd need to find a totally different career. I lost my home and my entire life savings before I eventually found another job in an industry that is always in need of new people because it's so hard that few people want to do it! I was 53 and it was exhausting and gruelling, but I did it. I had to get my own training and fight like mad to get a foot in the door, and I started at a salary that was lower than what I'd made 20 years earlier, but eventually I started earning decent money again. Unfortunately, after 3 years I became disabled and have been off work for 2 years now, trying hard not to panic every day wondering what is going to happen to me and if I will ever be able to go back to work. Ageism is SO real and if it was hard to find anyone willing to hire me at 53 it's going to be a miracle if anyone is willing to hire me now, with a physical impairment no less. Im so tired of people saying ageism in hiring is a myth and that unemployed older people just haven't tried hard enough, etc!! If you think it's hard for young people to find a half-decent job, try being over 45. It doesn't matter how many skills you have in so many cases, because the reality is most companies are looking for young people, not someone close to retirement age who's more likely to need medical benefits, etc. Having been the employer several times I do get their POV, but it sure feels horrible to be on this end. Working your butt off for decades and then thru circumstances never expected within a few short years you lose everything and can't find a job. It's terrifying, but in spite of that I think the only thing we can do is keep trying. The alternative is so much less appealing, don't you think? I went through a program to help identify my transferrabke skills, spoke with many career counsellors, did the Canada employment thing, anything to help me with my search, and it did help me identify areas where I might be sucessful, so I recommend trying that type of research, and above all, know you're not alone and that there are so many older people dealing with exactly the same thing!

Companies are so shallow now. I was laid off at 50 years old. This was five years ago. I could not find a job if my life depended on it. I was unemployed for three years and I did some retraining. I got paid at the low end. AGEISM exists in Vancouver. I have to admit that I tried working with 20 years old staff members. Don't do it. The professional level was so bad. When was wearing a lululemon outfit with flip flops to a business sales meeting with a client (law firm) acceptable? I had a receptionist at the same job refused to do any work because she thought she was above everyone. She was in her late twenties. I tried firing her. Nope my boss laid me off instead. Another twenty year old worker thought saying "Boom" out loud instead of saying thank you or goodbye. Everyone thought it was funny. It was not. Thank God I was laid off!

Keeping looking. Ignore the haters and the stupid people. The last advice is to follow your gut feeling. I now trust my gut feeling more now. When I was going for an interview, I got there early to see how staff interacted with others. If the place was dead quiet....watch out. If the place was too loud... watch the staff. I went to the nearest Starbucks and tried to listen to the employees. You get to hear a lot of whining and complaining about staff. The ones who are complaining at Starbucks could be the trouble makers.

Did not help me find a job (found one elsewhere), but their resume courses are excellent (shout out to Leah! ) & they are a good bunch of people. They helped me feel less hopeless.