Job vacancies ease as hiring slows; employers fill hard-to-place roles faster than before
Canada's job vacancy landscape is cooling as the proportion of long-open positions shrinks, suggesting employers are having an easier time filling roles. Meanwhile, average wages for vacant positions remain competitive at $29.55 per hour.
Hard-to-Fill Roles Becoming Less Common
By the time Statistics Canada released its July Labour Force Survey on August 7, the consensus among forecasters had settled on a gain of roughly 15,000 jobs. The economy delivered 75,000. Buried within the data is a quieter but significant shift: the share of vacancies open 90 days or longer fell 3.2 percentage points year over year, which Statistics Canada attributed to employers having less difficulty filling positions than they did a year prior.
Wage Growth Slows but Remains Solid
The average offered hourly wage for vacant positions was $29.55 in the first quarter, up 2.2 per cent from a year earlier, a marked deceleration. This suggests wage pressures that peaked in 2021–2024 are normalizing, though wages remain well above historical norms. For job seekers, the takeaway is clear: competition has increased, but compensation for vacant roles is still attractive.
What Changes for Staffing and Job Seekers
Employment in business, building and other support services rose by 9,400 in July, a 1.3 per cent monthly gain, and stood 34,500 higher than a year earlier. Temp and contract work continues to outpace traditional hiring, reflecting employer caution. If you're a foreigner competing for permanent roles, positioning yourself through staffing agencies or contract-to-hire arrangements may be more effective than waiting for stable openings.
Sources
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