Private sector job vacancies in Canada

The job vacancy rate in Canada’s private sector in 2024 Q2 dropped to 3.3%, similar to the pre-pandemic level.

Most provinces experienced a drop or remained stable
Almost all provinces experienced a decrease or remained stable, with the exception of New Brunswick, which recorded an increase in its quarterly vacancy rate. Quebec, Manitoba, and Ontario had the largest quarterly change (-0.2%).

Most sectors saw a decline or remained unchanged 
Most sectors recorded a quarterly decline in their vacancy rates, except enterprise management (+0.1), natural resources (+0.1), and finance, insurance, and real estate (0.0). Despite having the current highest vacancy rate, the personal services sector recorded one of the most significant yearly declines (-1.8). The hospitality sector recorded both the largest quarterly (-0.4) and yearly (-2.1) drops.

The vacancy rate saw little change across businesses of all sizes
Vacancy rates remained stable among small businesses (less than 100 employees), with smaller businesses (fewer than 5 employees) continuing to experience higher rates. Vacancy rates in businesses with 5 to 19 employees recorded a small quarterly increase. Most of the national job vacancies are recorded in medium to large-sized businesses (more than 100 employees).