There were 575,400 job vacancies across the country in April, a drop of 5.3%, or 32,000 positions, according to the latest data from Statistics Canada.
It marked the third consecutive monthly decline in the rate, taking it to level not seen since January 2021. Job vacancies decreased in seven sectors — led by manufacturing (-5,500 positions); retail trade (-5,200); and transportation and warehousing (-5,100).
Employment also dipped by 22,700 jobs, equivalent to a 0.1% drop, according to the data. This follows a period of growth from January to March, where a cumulative gain of 92,500 jobs was recorded.
Sector-specific employment trends
The decrease in payroll employment was observed across eight out of 20 sectors. The manufacturing sector led the decline, losing 6,000 jobs, a 0.4% reduction.
| Sectors with the largest losses | Job Loss | Percentage Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | -6,000 | -0.4% |
| Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services | -5,200 | -0.6% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | -4,800 | -0.4% |
| Retail Trade | -4,200 | -0.2% |
In contrast, the health care and social assistance sector experienced an increase of 5,700 jobs (+0.2%), and management of companies and enterprises saw a rise of 2,100 jobs (+1.8%).
| Sectors with the biggest gains | Job Gain | Percentage Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | +5,700 | +0.2% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | +2,100 | +1.8% |
In the manufacturing sector, job losses were particularly notable in fabricated metal product manufacturing (-1,300 jobs, -0.8%), machinery manufacturing (-900 jobs, -0.7%), and non-metallic mineral product manufacturing (-800 jobs, -1.5%). However, gains in petroleum and coal product manufacturing (+400 jobs, +2.9%) and electrical equipment, appliance, and component manufacturing (+400 jobs, +1.0%) partially offset these losses.
The administrative and support, waste management, and remediation services sector continued its downward trend, losing 5,200 jobs (-0.6%) in April, following minimal changes in March and a decline of 1,700 jobs (-0.2%) in February. Since its peak in February 2023, the sector has seen a reduction of 17,700 jobs (-2.1%).
Retail trade employment declined for the third consecutive month, with a reduction of 4,200 jobs (-0.2%) in April. Year over year, the sector saw a decrease of 19,600 jobs (-1.0%). Sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers accounted for a significant portion of the decline.
Accommodation and food services also saw a decrease of 4,800 jobs (-0.4%) in April, offsetting the gain of 3,100 jobs (+0.2%) in March. The sector is down by 18,200 jobs (-1.4%) from its peak in June 2023.
Wage and hours trends
Average weekly earnings in Canada increased by 3.7% year over year, reaching $1,240.18 in April. Despite this increase, average weekly hours remained unchanged from March at 33.5 hours, though they were up by 0.9% compared to the previous year.
The following table shows the average weekly earnings, sorted highest to lowest, by sector in April 2024.
| Sector | April 2024 | % Change from April 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction | $2,397.01 | 3.1% |
| Utilities | $2,145.11 | 0.8% |
| Information and cultural industries | $1,702.69 | 4.5% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services | $1,744.37 | 2.3% |
| Management of companies and enterprises | $1,775.27 | 6.8% |
| Finance and insurance | $1,600.95 | 0.4% |
| Wholesale trade | $1,545.50 | 8.4% |
| Public administration | $1,587.31 | 3.3% |
| Real estate and rental and leasing | $1,261.81 | 1.3% |
| Educational services | $1,212.61 | 1.4% |
| Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services | $1,051.45 | 3.8% |
| Other services (excluding public administration) | $1,080.29 | 6.4% |
| Manufacturing | $1,325.82 | 0.9% |
| Construction | $1,495.64 | -0.2% |
| Transportation and warehousing | $1,298.87 | 3.8% |
| Health care and social assistance | $1,121.61 | 8.3% |
| Sector aggregate | $1,240.18 | 3.7% |
| Finance and insurance | $1,600.95 | 0.4% |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | $756.64 | 9.3% |
| Retail trade | $741.99 | 6.0% |
| Accommodation and food services | $494.79 | 4.0% |
| Forestry, logging and support | $1,368.20 | -3.9% |
Job vacancy analysis
Job vacancies fell across seven sectors in April. Manufacturing saw the largest decrease with 5,500 fewer vacancies (-13.3%), followed by retail trade (-5,200 vacancies, -8.6%), transportation and warehousing (-5,100 vacancies, -13.6%), and wholesale trade (-3,700 vacancies, -15.4%). Educational services, finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing also saw significant declines.
Retail trade vacancies dropped to their lowest level since November 2019, while wholesale trade continued its downward trend since June 2022. Health care and social assistance saw vacancies hold steady, accounting for 21.0% of all vacancies in April, up from 19.8% in March.
Provincial trends
Four provinces recorded decreases in job vacancies in April: Ontario (-13,900 vacancies, -6.5%), Alberta (-11,500 vacancies, -14.7%), Manitoba (-3,500 vacancies, -15.6%), and Prince Edward Island (-1,000 vacancies, -37.2%). The job vacancy rate was down in all provinces on a year-over-year basis, with the most significant decreases in Prince Edward Island, Quebec, and Alberta. British Columbia had the highest job vacancy rate at 4.0% and the lowest unemployment rate at 5.0%.
| Province/Territory | April 2024 | % Change from April 2023 |
|---|---|---|
| Nunavut | $1,668.92 | 0.6% |
| Northwest Territories | $1,664.97 | 3.6% |
| Yukon | $1,441.64 | 5.4% |
| Alberta | $1,317.98 | 2.4% |
| Ontario | $1,271.04 | 3.4% |
| British Columbia | $1,258.20 | 4.6% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | $1,232.85 | 4.6% |
| Saskatchewan | $1,199.90 | 3.1% |
| Quebec | $1,181.70 | 3.8% |
| Manitoba | $1,138.33 | 3.8% |
| New Brunswick | $1,118.20 | 2.2% |
| Nova Scotia | $1,106.36 | 4.2% |
| Prince Edward Island | $1,063.58 | 6.1% |