Police among Calgary employers swimming in applicants from downturn

Alberta's economic slump means there is a talented pool of people hunting for work and some organizations stand to benefit,some recruiters say.

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The Calgary Police Service expects to hire up to 72 new recruits this year to fill vacant jobs and it's already seeing an increase in the number people attending its career information sessions.

"We're getting more interest now," said Staff Sgt. Rob McFadyen of the Calgary police recruiting unit.

He says working on the force can be appealing because it's insulated from oil price fluctuations.

"People are looking at possibly doing a career change and so they're coming out and asking questions in regards to what exactly do we do," McFadyen said.

Chris Jackson is with Calgary-based recruiting firm Roneta.

He says sectors such as communications, government and airlines are still hiring and they have a much larger pool of applicants to choose from than they would have when oil and gas was booming.

"It's more talented people with more transferrable skills so it's a little easier to find the right person," Jackson said.

"It's faster to hire because some of these people don't have to give notice with current employers."

On the downside, some recruiters say employers are hesitant to hire laid off oil and gas workers, because they're likely to quit and head towards higher paying jobs when the industry turns around.