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US workers more likely to stop looking for work, Canadians choosier

June 13, 2014

U.S. workers are more likely than Canadian workers to give up looking for work, according to a comparison of surveys of the unemployed in both countries, released by Express Employment Professionals. And unemployed Canadians get more interviews and turn down more jobs.

The surveys found 47 percent of the unemployed in the U.S. have given up looking for work compared to 39 percent of unemployed Canadians.

In the U.S., 46 percent reported no job interviews in the previous month while 36 percent said the same in Canada. Nineteen percent of survey respondents in the U.S. had turned down a job offer compared to 24 percent in Canada.

In the U.S., 73 percent report two or fewer interviews in the prior month compared to 66 percent in Canada. Among those unemployed for more than two years, 71 percent in the U.S. report no interviews in the prior month compared to 61 percent who reported the same in Canada.

“Indeed, the unemployment situation in the U.S. and Canada has some sharp differences,” said Express CEO Bob Funk. “Overall, Canadians seem more resistant to giving up-but also choosier when deciding whether to take a job. The job market right now is stronger in Canada than in the United States.”

The study was conducted by Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals and included 1,500 U.S. adults and 1,502 Canadian adults who are unemployed but capable of working. It was conducted from April 9 through April 21, 2014.