Market
8 min read
Jobs in Canada 2026: Hiring Trends + Salaries
Synopsis
Canada's 2026 job market shows strong demand in healthcare, skilled trades, and tech. Find where provinces are hiring, what you'll earn, and how to get started.
Canada's 2026 job market shows strong demand in healthcare, skilled trades, and tech. Find where provinces are hiring, what you'll earn, and how to get started.
Canada enters 2026 with unemployment at 6.7% and job openings down from 2022 peaks, but according to Statistics Canada, healthcare needs 117,600 additional workers by 2028, while skilled trades face persistent shortages. If you're a Canadian looking to switch jobs, an international student figuring out your post-graduation path, or someone outside Canada researching immigration options, this guide breaks down where the jobs actually are.
Most Canadian employers now rely on Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes before a human ever reviews them. Using clear formatting, role-specific keywords, and structured content is essential to ensure your resume passes automated screening and reaches hiring managers.
This guide shows you where hiring is strongest, what different provinces pay, and how to use Yotru's resume builder to match what Canadian employers expect.
| 2026 Canada labor market snapshot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Indicator | 2026 estimate | Job Outlook |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5-6.9% (higher than 2023-2024 but still manageable) | Medium |
| Job vacancy level | Down from peak but still 700,000+ openings nationally | Medium |
| Top shortage sectors | Healthcare, skilled trades, tech, transport/logistics | High |
| Real wage trend | Growing slowly, beating inflation in most provinces | Medium |
| Strongest profiles | Mid-career with Canadian experience, bilingual workers, regulated professions | High |
Sources: Statistics Canada, Job Bank, CIBC Economics
If you're an international student in Canada, your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) time counts toward permanent residence. Work in NOC TEER 0, 1, 2, or 3 roles for Canadian Experience Class eligibility. Don't waste PGWP time in survival jobs that won't help your PR application.
Market reality: Every province needs healthcare workers. Nurses can get jobs almost anywhere. Personal support workers (PSWs) needed urgently in Ontario and BC. Wait times getting worse, not better.
Salary in Canada:
Who's hiring:
What you need:
Job posting signals: "willing to sponsor," "new grad friendly," "visa support available," "shift premiums"
Start your nursing registration before you even land in Canada if you can. NNAS assessment takes months and you can't work as a nurse without it. Some provinces (like Saskatchewan) process faster than Ontario. Check processing times before choosing where to apply.
If you're an international student in Canada:
If you're applying from outside Canada:
How Yotru helps: Changes nursing credentials to match Canadian standards, shows your registration status clearly, formats for provincial nursing colleges, puts Canadian equivalent job titles front and center.
Market reality: Canada needs 700,000 skilled workers by 2028. Electricians, plumbers, and welders can basically name their price in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Toronto and Vancouver also desperate but housing costs eat your salary.
Salary in Canada:
Who's hiring:
What you need:
Job posting signals: "Red Seal preferred," "apprenticeship available," "tool allowance," "company truck," "camp work"
Many trade jobs in Canada involve camp work or fly-in fly-out schedules (2 weeks on, 1 week off). Pay is great but lifestyle is tough. Ask about rotation schedules in interviews. Some people love it, some people hate it. Know yourself before you commit.
If you're an international student in Canada:
If you're applying from outside Canada:
How Yotru helps: Translates your trade credentials to Red Seal standards, shows safety certifications clearly, formats apprenticeship hours properly, highlights camp work and travel willingness.
Market reality: Tech hiring slowed way down from 2021-2022 but good developers still get jobs. Toronto and Vancouver competitive, smaller cities like Waterloo, Ottawa, Calgary easier. Remote work still common.
Salary in Canada:
Who's hiring:
What you need:
Job posting signals: "remote-first," "hybrid," "startup equity," "benefits from day one," "LMIA support available"
Canadian tech companies care way more about what you've built than where you went to school. Put your best 2-3 projects at the top of your resume with live links and GitHub repos. Show what problem you solved and what tech you used. That gets you interviews faster than listing 10 courses.
If you're an international student in Canada:
If you're applying from outside Canada:
How Yotru helps: Puts your GitHub and portfolio links up front, shows tech stack clearly, formats for Canadian ATS systems, includes work permit status if you have PGWP or PR.
Transport jobs in Canada:
What matters for transport jobs:
Canada’s hiring landscape is shifting: In some provinces, rules now require more transparency around pay, hiring practices, and the use of AI in recruitment.
What this means for job seekers:
While experience in Canada can still help in practice, the system is shifting toward skills, qualifications, and fair access, not informal barriers.
Focus on clearly demonstrating transferable skills, documented experience, and role-specific competence. Employers are being pushed to evaluate candidates more transparently — and that creates real opportunity for qualified newcomers.
The reality: Canada still wants immigrants but the process changed a lot in 2024-2025.
What this means:
The trend: Where you work in Canada matters as much as what job you do.
What this means:
Canadian experience is everything
Credentials take time
Cost of living varies wildly
Immigration pathways matter
Tax hits harder than you expect
Full immigration details: IRCC and Job Bank
If you're outside Canada:
If you're an international student in Canada:
If you're already a Canadian (citizen or PR):
If you're between jobs or new to Canada, temp agencies are actually useful here. They get you Canadian experience fast, some temp jobs turn permanent, and it's income while you look for something better. Don't dismiss them like you might in other countries.
Our AI-powered ATS scoring system helps organizations assess and standardize resume quality at scale. ATS-compliant templates support consistent formatting, keyword alignment, and interview readiness across cohorts.
Expect 3-6 months for your first Canadian job, even with great credentials. This is normal and not a reflection of your skills. Most people start with survival jobs or positions below their qualification while building Canadian experience and references. By your second job search (12-18 months later), the process gets much easier. Budget for 6 months of living expenses before arriving.
Team Yotru
Employability Systems & Applied Research
Team Yotru
Employability Systems & Applied Research
We bring expertise in career education, workforce development, labor market research, and employability technology. We partner with training providers, career services teams, nonprofits, and public-sector organizations to turn research and policy into practical tools used in real employment and retraining programs. Our approach balances evidence and real hiring realities to support employability systems that work in practice. Follow us on LinkedIn.
Continue exploring related perspectives on career development, hiring trends, and workforce change.
This content is designed for job seekers, career changers, and workforce professionals navigating the Canadian labor market. It explains where demand exists, how hiring decisions are made, and how individuals can align their skills, experience, and credentials with employer expectations across Canada.
This analysis draws on publicly available government datasets, labor market reports, and sector-specific research. It synthesizes national and provincial employment data, vacancy trends, and skills demand to reflect current and emerging labor market conditions across Canada.
All salary figures represent estimated annual gross earnings in Canadian dollars (CAD) before taxes. Figures are normalized using aggregated job postings, government wage data, and employer-reported ranges. Actual compensation may vary by region, role, seniority, and employer.
Content is developed using verified public data and reviewed for clarity, accuracy, and neutrality. Insights are based on observable labor market trends rather than promotional claims. Information is updated periodically to reflect changes in economic conditions and hiring practices.
This content is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, immigration, or career advice. Readers should consult official government sources or qualified professionals before making employment or relocation decisions.
If you are working on employability programs, hiring strategy, career education, or workforce outcomes and want practical guidance, you are in the right place.
Yotru supports individuals and organizations navigating real hiring systems. That includes resumes and ATS screening, career readiness, program design, evidence collection, and alignment with employer expectations. We work across education, training, public sector, and industry to turn guidance into outcomes that actually hold up in practice.
Part of Yotru's commitment to helping professionals succeed in real hiring systems through evidence-based guidance.
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