Maple News reports that Canada recorded over 871,000 job vacancies in August — the highest figure so far this year — highlighting an ongoing labour shortage that has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. This marks a notable rise from July, which reported 805,500 vacancies, underscoring ongoing challenges in key economic sectors.
According to Statistics Canada, while high vacancy levels can sometimes reflect strong employment demand, they also often signal persistent labour shortages, high turnover, or mismatches between available jobs and job seeker qualifications.
Several sectors bore the brunt of this imbalance. Health care and social assistance reported approximately 121,300 unfilled positions in August — nearly double the number from the same period in 2019. Long-standing demographic trends, such as Canada’s aging population and historically low birth rates, have put continuing pressure on this sector. Vacancies for registered nurses and psychiatric nurses were especially acute, with nearly half the open roles remaining unfilled for 90 days or longer.
The accommodation and food services sector also posted record-high job openings, reaching 156,800 in August. Though businesses began to reopen as public health restrictions eased, employers struggled to rehire laid-off staff or attract new workers. About 42% of businesses surveyed reported higher vacancies relative to pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, the professional, scientific, and technical services sector hit a historic high of 61,100 vacancies—a 66% increase compared to Q3 of 2019. Unlike others, this sector was less disrupted by public health restrictions and continues to see solid employment growth, particularly in tech-related occupations.
Canada’s labour market challenges are not a recent phenomenon. “Unfortunately, because of our aging population, labour shortages are here to stay,” said Pierre Cléroux, chief economist at the Business Development Bank of Canada. These systemic issues have been exacerbated by the pandemic and cannot be resolved quickly without adjusting immigration strategies and workforce development policies.
As the country moves toward pandemic recovery, the persistent demand for skilled workers — coupled with an aging workforce — is likely to keep job vacancies high in the foreseeable future. Maple News will continue to monitor how these trends influence Canada’s immigration priorities and employment patterns.