Job vacancies fell by 18,900 (-3.6%) to 505,900 in the second quarter of 2025, following a decrease of 20,000 (-3.7%) in the first quarter. Compared with the second quarter of 2024, job vacancies were down by 72,900 (-12.6%) in the second quarter of 2025. The number of vacancies in the second quarter was the lowest recorded since the first quarter of 2018 (501,500), according to a report by Statistics Canada.
In the second quarter of 2025, job vacancies fell in full-time positions (-20,300; -5.1%), while there was little change for part-time positions. Vacancies fell in both permanent (-14,600; -3.4%) and temporary (-4,300; -4.5%) positions, said the federal agency.
“Total labour demand (the sum of filled and vacant positions) fell by 54,800 (-0.3%) in the second quarter due to a combined decrease in both job vacancies (-18,900; -3.6%) and payroll employment (-36,000; -0.2%),” explained Statistics Canada.
“The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—fell by 0.1 percentage points to 2.8% in the second quarter. On a year-over-year basis, the job vacancy rate was down 0.4 percentage points.”
The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio—the number of unemployed persons per job vacancy—rose to 2.9 in the second quarter of 2025, up from 2.2 in the second quarter of 2024. The ratio rose across all educational levels over this period. The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio excludes the territories for consistency with the available Labour Force Survey data (data in this section are not seasonally adjusted), it explained.
“The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio was highest for positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, at 4.9 in the second quarter of 2025. Compared with the second quarter of 2024, there was nearly one additional unemployed person for each vacancy requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher (+0.9) in the second quarter of 2025, the biggest increase across all educational levels,” noted Statistics Canada.
“In comparison, in the second quarter, there were 2.7 unemployed persons per job vacancy requiring other non-university certificates and university certificates below a bachelor’s degree and 2.5 unemployed persons for each vacancy requiring a high school diploma or less. Across all education levels, the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio was lowest for positions requiring a trade certificate or diploma, at 1.8 in the second quarter.”
In the second quarter of 2025, job vacancies decreased in six broad occupational groups: trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (-5,900; -6.1%); health occupations (-5,600; -7.5%); business, finance and administration occupations (-3,300; -4.7%); occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (-2,000; -4.0%); occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-1,500; -8.4%); and legislative and senior management occupations (-300; -23.3%). Meanwhile, occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport (+900; +9.5%) was the only broad occupation group to record an increase in job vacancies in the second quarter, said the report.
On a year-over-year basis, the number of job vacancies was down in 9 out of 10 broad occupational groups in the second quarter, led by health occupations (-18,100; -20.8%), sales and service occupations (-16,100; -9.7%) and trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (-15,700; -14.7%). Occupations in art, culture, recreation and sport was the only occupational group to see little change year over year, it added.
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024 and 2025.
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