Worst Jobs In Canada 2014: Private Detectives, Artists In Trouble

Canada’s private detectives are in trouble.

According to Canadian Business magazine’s latest ranking of the worst jobs in Canada, the median income for people in the “protection worker” category has fallen 12 per cent over the past five years.

That category counts private detectives and alarm specialists, but not security guards. The median income for this group is now $33,280.

They haven’t got it worst. Visual artists have seen their median income decline a full 19 per cent over the past five years, to $36,566.

Ordinarily Canadian Business measures wage growth (or decline) and the number of jobs in a given field to determine the worst jobs, but this year the survey looked simply at median incomes.

By the old measure, the worst jobs in the country were primarily those that were being eliminated by technology, such as office clerk or photo processor (see last year’s list).

This year’s list has some of that (telephone operator), and even private detectives may be seeing the effects of technology. Why hire a private eye to find your high school sweetheart when you can just look them up on Facebook?

But looking at median incomes, it seems the worst jobs in the country are the ones that are being affected by the manufacturing sector’s struggles. This year’s list is dominated by factory jobs.

Check out the 10 worst jobs in Canada, according to Canadian Business.

10. Plastics Processing Machine Operator

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These are the 10 worst jobs according to Canadian Business. Read more here.10. Plastics processing machine operatorMedian salary: $33,0725-yr. salary growth: +9%5-yr. growth in employees (2006-2012): -42.41%Source: Canadian Business

9. Printing Machine Operator