Canada Job Vacancies Hold at 510,200 in Q2 2026
Canada's job vacancy count remained stable at 510,200 in the second quarter of 2026, with a steady rate of 2.8 per cent.
Canada recorded 510,200 job vacancies in the second quarter of 2026. Statistics Canada said, "Canada had more than half a million vacant jobs in the second quarter of 2026." The national job vacancy rate held firm at 2.8 per cent, unchanged from the first quarter and from the same period a year earlier.
Full-time job vacancies saw little movement. The average hourly wage offered for these open positions rose to $28.55, marking a year-over-year increase of 55 cents, or 2.0 per cent.
Sectoral shifts in demand
Beneath the stable headline figure, significant churn occurred across industries. Demand surged in trades, transport, and equipment operator roles, which saw vacancies climb to 98,600. That represents a year-over-year increase of 6,500 positions, or 6.6 per cent.
Specific occupations driving this growth included material handlers, residential and commercial installers, and transport truck drivers. In contrast, the health sector experienced a sharp decline, with vacancies falling by 5,500, or 7.9 per cent, compared to the second quarter of 2025. An even steeper drop of 13.3 per cent hit the education, law, social, community, and government services category.
| Occupation Group | Q2 2026 Vacancies | Year-over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Trades, Transport & Equipment | 98,600 | +6.6% |
| Health Occupations | (Not Stated) | -7.9% |
| Education, Law, Social, Community & Government | (Not Stated) | -13.3% |
| Manufacturing & Utilities | (Not Stated) | +19.2% |
Occupation-specific trends
Vacancies in natural and applied sciences rose for a second consecutive quarter, reaching 42,300. This was a 4.5 per cent increase from the first quarter and a 6.0 per cent rise from a year ago. The growth was concentrated in several key tech and technical roles.
Software developers and programmers saw 3,500 vacancies, an increase of 900 from the previous year. User support technician openings grew by 500 to 2,400, and construction estimator vacancies rose by 400 to 1,200.
Labour market imbalances
Despite over half a million open jobs, a significant skills mismatch persists. Nationally, there were three unemployed people for every vacant job in the second quarter. The ratio varies dramatically by education level.
For jobs requiring a trade certificate or diploma, the ratio was 1.7 unemployed individuals per vacancy. The mismatch was far more pronounced for roles requiring a bachelor's degree or higher, where 4.9 people were unemployed for every open position. Vacancies requiring this higher education level actually fell by 5,100, or 5.9 per cent, year over year.
Regional and wage developments
Job vacancy trends varied considerably by region. New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador posted year-over-year increases of 10.3 per cent and 12 per cent, respectively. The Northwest Territories saw a dramatic 35.1 per cent surge.
At the sub-provincial level, the Laurentides region in Quebec added 1,400 vacancies, a 22.2 per cent jump. Thompson-Okanagan in British Columbia saw an increase of 1,000 openings, up 9.4 per cent.
Wage growth for vacant positions has moderated from its peak. While offered wages were rising at an annual rate of 7.6 per cent as recently as the third quarter of 2024, the 2.0 per cent increase in the second quarter of 2026 was below the 3.6 per cent growth seen for all Canadian employees. Average wages for vacant positions increased to $28.55 per hour in Q2 2026, up 2.0 per cent from the previous year.
