Canada’s labour market saw a notable boost in December 2021, with 55,000 new jobs added across the country, according to the latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada. Maple News reports that this employment growth occurred just before the Omicron variant surged, prompting renewed public health measures. Economic activity during the reference week (December 5 to 11) remained largely unaffected by pandemic-related restrictions.
The unemployment rate dipped slightly to 5.9% in December, down from 6.0% in November and approaching the pre-pandemic rate of 5.6% recorded in February 2020. Most of the employment gains were concentrated in Ontario and primarily driven by increased hiring in the construction and education sectors. Full-time work accounted for the majority of the job growth.
Newcomers to Canada, especially those who arrived within the past five years, are increasingly contributing to the labour force. Core working-age very recent immigrants (ages 25 to 54) reached employment levels 0.6% higher than pre-pandemic figures—an increase of 5,000 workers compared to two years prior. Their employment rate has risen sharply by 7.8 percentage points to 78.7% over the same period.
The strongest job gains for very recent immigrants were in high-demand fields like professional, scientific, and technical services (+31.3%), as well as wholesale and retail trade (+28.7%). These sectors highlight the wide range of jobs—both high-skilled and low-skilled—that newcomers are taking up as they integrate into the Canadian workforce. Canada’s Express Entry system continues to prioritize economic immigrants with high-skilled work experience, although some provincial programs support low-skilled entries.
Meanwhile, immigrants who have been in Canada for more than five years had a core-age employment rate of nearly 83%, staying consistent with figures from two years ago. This is slightly below the rate of core-aged Canadian-born workers, whose employment sat at approximately 86% in December 2021.
Visible minority groups also saw improved employment outcomes. Their employment rate rose by four percentage points compared to December 2020, reaching nearly 71%. In contrast, white Canadians’ employment rate increased by two points to a similar 71%, indicating that marginalized communities are recovering at a faster pace, even as overall rates equalize.
Maple News highlights that these gains underscore resilience in Canada’s labour market and the critical role immigrants play in its recovery. As the country continues to navigate the health and economic effects of the pandemic, the growing integration of newcomers and increased employment across diverse groups signal a positive outlook for Canada’s workforce.