For the first time in three years, average wage increases in major Canadian settlements outpaced inflation, according to The Conference Board of Canada‘s latest Labour Relations Data Hub.
“Looking ahead, Canada’s labour market is expected to face ongoing challenges,” said Diogo Borba, Senior Research Associate of Human Capital at The Conference Board of Canada. “Wage growth is projected to outpace inflation again in 2025, but a tightening labour market – driven by declining immigration targets and the ongoing retirement of baby boomers – will add to workforce pressures.”
In 2024, wages rose by an average of 3.0 per cent, surpassing the year’s 2.4 per cent inflation rate. The strongest gains were seen in manufacturing, primary industries, and entertainment and hospitality, while information and culture as well as education, health, and social services experienced the lowest. Regionally, wage growth was highest in Quebec and British Columbia and lowest in Alberta and Nova Scotia, said the report.
“Labour disruptions remained a significant challenge in 2024, with major stoppages across key industries that resulted in 2.3 million person-days lost. Although this marked a sharp decline from the 6.6 million lost in 2023, it is the highest recorded number since 2006. The federally regulated transportation sector accounted over half of these work stoppages, with 1.3 million person-days lost,” explained the Board.
“With 143 collective agreements set to expire in 2025 and nearly one million unionized workers impacted as a result, labour negotiations will play a pivotal role in shaping the labour landscape in 2025. The education, health, and social services sector faces the highest number of expiring agreements, followed by public administration and transportation. Key negotiations include the Government of Canada’s agreement with the Public Service Alliance of Canada, major construction agreements in Quebec, and large contracts in the education, health, and social services sector across multiple provinces.”
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.
About Us
Canada’s Entrepreneur is the number one community media platform in Canada for entrepreneurs and business owners. Established in 2016, our podcast team has interviewed over 800 Canadian entrepreneurs from coast-to-coast. With hosts in each province, entrepreneurs have a local and national format to tell their stories, talk about their journey and provide inspiration for anyone starting their entrepreneurial journey and well- established founders.
The commitment to a grass roots approach has built a loyal audience on all our social channels and YouTube – 500,000+ lifetime YouTube views, 250,000 + audio downloads, 50,000 + average monthly social impressions, 15,000 + engaged social followers and 120,000 newsletter subscribers. Canada’s Entrepreneur is proud to provide a local, national and international presence for Canadian entrepreneurs to build their brand and tell their story
