Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: April Labour Force Survey

Article

Statistics Canada’s newest Labour Force Survey reports that Canadian employment changed by ?? between March and April 2025, a significant number that changed the unemployment rate from 6.7 to ?? per cent.

Overall, Statistics Canada reported ?? more people working in April 2025 compared with April 2024 – a year-over-year gain of approximately ?? per cent.

For more context on the Canada job market's evolution over the past three months, check out our previous updates:

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: March Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: February Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: January Labour Force Survey

You can also find the latest Canada job market data, updated monthly, on our Labour Market Overview page.

Wholesale and retail, information and culture sectors post biggest losses in March 2025

On a sector-specific basis, the Canada job market’s largest March employment losses came from the wholesale and retail trade sector, which employs nearly 3 million Canadians and lost 28,500 positions in March (a 0.9 per cent monthly loss) after gaining 51,000 in February.

In second place was the information, culture and recreation sector, which employs 835,000 Canadians and lost 20,300 positions in March (a 2.4 per cent monthly loss), followed by business, building and other support services, which employs 719,600 and lost 10,300 positions (a 1.4 per cent monthly loss).

Other industries that reported significant job losses in April 2025, according to Statistics Canada, included:

Agriculture: 9,300 jobs lost (4.1 per cent loss)

Manufacturing: 7,100 jobs lost (0.4 per cent loss)

Construction: 3,800 jobs lost (0.2 per cent loss)

Educational services: 3,500 jobs lost (0.2 per cent loss)

Accommodation and food services: 1,800 jobs lost (0.2 per cent loss)

Health care and social assistance: 600 jobs lost (statistically insignificant in a sector that employs nearly 2.9 million)

Meanwhile, employment rose 11,600 (a 1.5 per cent monthly gain) in the agency’s catchall “other services” category, which covers services outside its wholesale and retail trade; transportation and warehousing; finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; professional, scientific and technical; business, building and other support; educational; health care and social assistance; information, culture and recreation; accommodation and food; and public administration services categories.

Statistics Canada also reported an employment gain of 10,100 (a 0.9 per cent monthly gain) in transportation and warehousing, which had previously lost 23,000 jobs in February.

Other industries that posted gains last month included:

Professional, scientific and technical services: 9,600 jobs added (statistically insignificant in a sector that employs nearly 2 million)

Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing: 6,300 jobs added (0.4 per cent gain)

Public administration : 6,300 jobs added (0.5 per cent gain)

Natural resources: 4,400 jobs added (1.3 per cent gain)

Utilities: 4,200 jobs added (2.8 per cent gain)

Canada’s unemployment rate changes to ?? per cent

Statistics Canada’s April 2025 Labour Force Survey reported that Canada’s national unemployment rate changed from 6.7 per cent to ?? per cent.

However, while the job market in Canada has been difficult for many sectors, the unemployment rates for skilled professionals – including the specializations supported by Robert Half Canada’s staffing experts – continue to be well below the national average.

Unemployment rates by profession:

Management occupations, which includes marketing and creative roles: ?? per cent (2.5 per cent in March 2025)

Business, finance and administration occupations, which includes finance and accounting, HR, and administration and customer service roles: ?? per cent (3.2 per cent in March 2025)

Natural and applied sciences and related occupations, which includes technology roles: ?? per cent (4.1 per cent in March 2025)

Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services, which includes legal roles: ?? per cent (2.2 per cent in March 2025)

Customer support roles, which fall outside the above Statistics Canada categories: ?? per cent (5.0 per cent in March 2025)

On a provincial basis, Ontario and Alberta reported significant declines in employment, with losses of 28,000 and 15,000 jobs respectively. Meanwhile, increases leading to statistically significant gains were reported in Saskatchewan (6,600), Nova Scotia (2,000), and Newfoundland and Labrador (1,600). The others saw few changes.

Unemployment rates by province:

Saskatchewan: ?? per cent (4.9 per cent in March 2025)

Quebec: ?? per cent (5.7 per cent in March 2025)

Manitoba: ?? per cent (6.0 per cent in March 2025)

British Columbia: ?? per cent (6.1 per cent in March 2025)

Nova Scotia: ?? per cent (6.1 per cent in March 2025)

New Brunswick: ?? per cent (7.0 per cent in March 2025)

Alberta: ?? per cent (7.1 per cent in March 2025)

Ontario: ?? per cent (7.5 per cent in March 2025)

Prince Edward Island: ?? per cent (7.5 per cent in March 2025)

Newfoundland and Labrador: ?? per cent (10.0 per cent in March 2025)

Need more context on the job market in Canada’s evolution over the past three months? Check out our previous updates:

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: March Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: February Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2025 Canada Job Market: January Labour Force Survey

Employer and worker confidence remain steady — and so is hiring

While many of the Canada job market’s latest numbers indicate a challenging economic climate, the unemployment rates for skilled professionals align with Robert Half Canada’s newest Demand For Skilled Talent report, which found that nearly half – 46 per cent – of Canadian companies plan to add new permanent positions in the first half of 2025, while another 49 per cent plan to fill vacated positions and 54 per cent are increasing the number of contract professionals they enlist to support new projects during the same period.

Among hiring managers who plan to increase headcount, nearly half (47 per cent) cited company growth as the primary factor, while employee turnover rates (44 per cent), and new projects (41 per cent) were also identified as key factors.

Meanwhile, a Robert Half survey of 1,500 Canadian professionals found that 38 per cent have either started or are planning to start searching for a new job in the first half of 2025, while an additional 39 per cent say they are open to a new role if the right opportunity arises. The top reasons they cited for wanting a new position were:

A higher salary (41 per cent)

Better perks and benefits (31 per cent)

More remote flexibility than what their company offers (27 per cent)

Greater professional development opportunities (20 per cent)

For organizations seeking to hire these skilled professionals, the message is clear: Competition for top talent remains fierce and is likely to continue throughout the year. That’s why according to the 2025 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half, companies are responding by offering the following:

Hybrid jobs (39 per cent)

Flexible work schedules (37 per cent)

Increased starting salaries (32 per cent)

New perks and benefits (30 per cent)

Numbers you can count on

Get the Report

Our latest Demand for Skilled Talent report provides Canadian employers with the latest employment trends and challenges across six professional fields: finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources.

Numbers you can count on

Get the Report

The 2025 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half covers Canadian hiring and compensation trends across the six fields as well, incorporating exclusive data and input from surveys of thousands of Canadian workers and hiring managers, along with salary information for professionals we’ve matched with employers across the country.

Whether you’re launching a job search, actively hiring talent or developing a staffing strategy for your business, there’s no better source of insights into today’s salary and hiring trends than the 2025 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half.

What Networking Mistakes to Avoid and What to Do Instead

How To Find Remote Jobs Now

4 Ways Canadian Employers and Workers Can Prevent Work Burnout