Canada’s job vacancies remained virtually unchanged in the fourth quarter of 2024 at approximately 547,800 positions, ending nine straight quarters of declines, according to Statistics Canada.
The job vacancy rate, representing vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand, was steady at 3.1 per cent. Year over year, vacancies decreased notably, down 16.8 per cent for full-time jobs and 24.2 per cent for part-time positions. Permanent positions declined by 18.2 per cent, while temporary positions dropped by 21.4 per cent.
The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio rose slightly to 2.8, up from 2.7 in the previous quarter, driven primarily by an increase in unemployment, which climbed by 53,500 (3.7 per cent). This marks a steady upward trend from a low of 1.1 in the third quarter of 2022.
Health care saw an increase in job vacancies, rising 3.5 per cent (2,800 positions), followed by manufacturing and utilities, up 5.5 per cent (900 positions). Conversely, vacancies decreased by 4.6 per cent in education, law, social, community, and government services, and by 24.2 per cent in legislative and senior management occupations.
On an annual basis, all occupational groups experienced declines, most significantly in sales and service jobs, which fell by 25.5 per cent (52,200 positions). Trades, transport, and equipment operators saw a 25.1 per cent drop, followed by an 18.1 per cent decrease in education, law, social, community, and government occupations.
Long-term vacancies—positions unfilled for 90 days or more—declined across eight of the 10 broad occupational groups, with the sharpest drops occurring in legislative and senior management occupations and manufacturing and utilities.
The average hourly wage offered for vacant positions increased 7.4 per cent year over year to $28.30, outpacing the 4.4 per cent wage growth among employed workers.
Positions requiring only a high school diploma or less declined sharply by 26.7 per cent, accounting for the majority of the annual decrease in vacancies. Meanwhile, vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher dropped 6.8 per cent, despite wages averaging $42.75 per hour, nearly double those for lower-educated roles.
Regionally, Alberta saw vacancies fall by 3,300, while Quebec experienced an increase of 6,300 vacancies. Notably, Lower Mainland-Southwest, British Columbia, and Ottawa, Ontario, recorded significant vacancy declines.
Statistics Canada noted that the job vacancy rate declined in 56 of Canada’s 69 economic regions, most notably in Cariboo, B.C., and Yorkton-Melville, Sask. However, Parklands and North, Man., recorded the highest regional vacancy rate increase, climbing to 6.2 per cent.
By the numbers
The 10 occupations with the largest annual decreases in job vacancies and their average offered hourly wage, fourth quarter of 2024 Back to main article
| Occupation | Avg. Hourly Wage Q4 2023 ($) | Avg. Hourly Wage Q4 2024 ($) |
|---|---|---|
| Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations | 16.65 | 17.20 |
| Retail salespersons and visual merchandisers | 16.85 | 17.25 |
| Transport truck drivers | 26.60 | 27.55 |
| Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers | 16.25 | 16.55 |
| Registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses | 34.15 | 36.25 |
| Construction trades helpers and labourers | 22.60 | 23.40 |
| Food and beverage servers | 15.60 | 16.45 |
| Cooks | 18.45 | 19.30 |
| Social and community service workers | 23.55 | 25.00 |
| Other customer and information services representatives | 20.90 | 21.65 |
