What May’s Labour Market Report Means for Hiring in Canada right now!
Hiring slowdowns, gender gaps, and regional shifts! Here’s what smart employers should be watching...
The latest Labour Force Survey from Statistics Canada just dropped, and while the headlines say “little change,” there’s a lot bubbling under the surface that Canadian employers should be paying attention to.
At VPWS, we help businesses hire smarter and stay ahead of these workforce trends. Here’s a breakdown of May’s numbers and why they matter for your hiring strategy.
📊 May in a Nutshell
Employment barely moved (+8,800 jobs), but…
Unemployment rose to 7.0%, the highest since 2016 (outside of the pandemic years).
Full-time roles were up (+58,000), but part-time jobs fell (-49,000).
Average hourly wage grew 3.4% year-over-year to $36.14.
What does it all mean? The market’s holding its breath! Your hiring strategy needs to be proactive, not reactive.
🚺 Core-Aged Women Make Gains, Men Lose Ground
Employment among women aged 25–54 rose by 42,000, while core-aged men lost 31,000 jobs, marking their lowest employment rate since 2018. It’s a stark reminder: gender-based shifts in the labour force aren’t just statistics, they’re strategic signals.
If you're not tailoring your job ads, workplace culture, or flexibility perks to appeal to today’s job seekers (especially women re-entering or shifting careers), you’re missing top-tier talent.
🛍️ Retail, Culture & Finance Growing. Public Sector & Hospitality Decline
Industries that saw job gains:
Wholesale/Retail Trade (+43,000)
Info, Culture, and Recreation (+19,000)
Finance and Real Estate (+12,000)
Industries that took a hit:
Public Administration (-32,000)
Accommodation & Food Services (-16,000)
Transportation & Warehousing (-16,000)
If you’re in a growing industry, now’s the time to double down on attracting talent. And if you’re in one of the declining sectors, focus on retention and upskilling before your talent starts looking elsewhere.
📍 Ontario’s Job Market? Still Sluggish...
Employment in Ontario held flat in May, following a two-month decline. Cities like Windsor (10.8%), Oshawa (9.1%), and Toronto (8.8%) are seeing high unemployment. For employers in Southern Ontario, this could be an opportunity: a larger pool of active job seekers means access to more qualified candidates... if your recruitment strategy is dialed in.
📣 Why It Matters to VPWS Clients
At VP Workforce Solutions, we don’t just fill roles, we provide strategic hiring insight rooted in real data. When we see signs of wage growth, sector-specific slowdowns, and gender-based shifts, we help clients adapt their recruiting strategy accordingly.
Whether you’re scaling up or facing sectoral uncertainty, the message is clear: talent is available, but competition is tight and retention matters more than ever.
Let us help you attract and retain the workforce you need to thrive through 2025.
🔗 Contact us today to build your hiring strategy around real data and real results.