Job vacancies increased by 11,800 (+2.4%) in the first quarter of 2026 to 506,700. This was the first increase in job vacancies since the second quarter of 2022. Job vacancies rose for full-time (+7,700; +2.1%) and part-time (+4,100; +3.3%) occupations, as well as for permanent (+7,400; +1.8%) and temporary (+4,400; +5.0%) positions, reported Statistics Canada.
Year over year, job vacancies were down by 3.2% (-16,700) in the first quarter of 2026. This decrease was a marked slowdown from the one recorded in the previous quarter (-8.8%), said the federal agency.
Total labour demand (the sum of filled and vacant positions) rose by 60,900 (+0.3%) in the first quarter, due to an increase in vacancies (+11,800; +2.4%) and an increase in payroll employment (+49,100; +0.3%), said Statistics Canada.
“The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—held steady in the first quarter at 2.8%. On a year-over-year basis, the job vacancy rate was down 0.1 percentage points,” it said.
“The proportion of long-term vacancies—vacancies for which recruitment efforts have been ongoing for 90 days or more—was 28.0% in the first quarter of 2026, down 3.2 percentage points from the first quarter of 2025 (31.2%) (not seasonally adjusted). This indicates that employers had fewer difficulties filling available positions compared with a year earlier.”
The federal agency said job vacancies increased in 5 of the 10 broad occupational groups in the first quarter, led by sales and service occupations (+8,400; +5.8%), trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (+4,900; +5.3%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (+1,500; +4.0%). Vacancies declined in health occupations (-3,300; -5.0%). The remaining four broad occupational groups were little changed.
“On a year-over-year basis, job vacancies were down in 5 of the 10 broad occupational groups in the first quarter. The largest declines were in health occupations (-12,000; -16.0%), and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (-6,300; -12.6%). Occupations in manufacturing and utilities (+1,700; +9.5%) was the lone broad occupational group to record a year-over-year increase in the first quarter.”
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, 2025 and 2026.
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