Canada job vacancy rates by region: a full view of where the opportunities are and where employers are struggling to hire, from 2015 to today.
Data for Q2 2026 · released September 15, 2026 · next update expected mid-December 2026 · unemployment to Jul–Sep 2026
In Q2 2026, Canada had 510,220 open jobs and a 2.8% job vacancy rate, with open jobs up 0.6% on a year earlier. The hardest regions to hire in were Terrace, BC (5.4%), Thunder Bay, ON (4.8%) and Yellowknife, NT (4.6%). The easiest were Iqaluit, NU (1.9%), Gatineau, QC (2.2%) and Windsor, ON (2.2%). Nationally there were 2.9 job seekers for every open job.
| # | Region | Vacancy rate | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terrace, BC North Coast and Nechako economic region | 5.4% | 2,290 |
| 2 | Thunder Bay, ON Northwest economic region | 4.8% | 5,415 |
| 3 | Yellowknife, NT Northwest Territories economic region | 4.6% | 1,040 |
| 4 | Sherbrooke, QC Estrie economic region | 4.4% | 6,705 |
| 5 | Rouyn-Noranda, QC Abitibi-Témiscamingue economic region | 4.4% | 3,370 |
| 6 | Sept-Îles, QC Côte-Nord and Nord-du-Québec economic region | 4.2% | 3,440 |
| 7 | Northern Manitoba, MB Parklands and North economic region | 4.1% | 1,750 |
| 8 | Prince Albert, SK Prince Albert and Northern economic region | 4.1% | 3,355 |
| 9 | Kelowna, BC Thompson-Okanagan economic region | 4.0% | 11,515 |
| 10 | Gimli, MB Interlake economic region | 3.9% | 1,210 |
Unemployed people for every open job, Q2 2026. The fewer job seekers per opening, the harder it is to fill a role and the stronger a candidate's position. Canada overall: 2.9.
| # | Region | Job seekers per open job | Unemployment rate | Vacancy rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rouyn-Noranda, QC | 0.6 | 2.8% | 4.4% |
| 2 | Chaudière-Appalaches, QC | 0.7 | 1.9% | 3.1% |
| 3 | Sept-Îles, QC | 0.7 | 4.3% | 4.2% |
| 4 | Northern Manitoba, MB | 1.0 | 5.4% | 4.1% |
| 5 | Sherbrooke, QC | 1.1 | 3.9% | 4.4% |
| 6 | Thunder Bay, ON | 1.1 | 5.5% | 4.8% |
| 7 | Yorkton, SK | 1.3 | 5.1% | 3.9% |
| 8 | Brandon, MB | 1.3 | 3.6% | 3.1% |
| 9 | Cranbrook, BC | 1.4 | 4.6% | 3.6% |
| 10 | Drummondville, QC | 1.4 | 4.2% | 3.2% |
Most job seekers per open job: Central Newfoundland, NL (7.7), Gatineau, QC (5.6) and Windsor, ON (4.6).
Regions with the biggest increase in open jobs from Q2 2025 to Q2 2026, among regions with at least 1,000 open jobs a year earlier.
| Region | Change | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Rimouski, QC | +32.2% | 1,880 → 2,485 |
| Corner Brook, NL | +24.7% | 1,075 → 1,340 |
| Saint-Jérôme, QC | +22.2% | 6,335 → 7,740 |
| Winkler, MB | +22.1% | 1,265 → 1,545 |
| Moncton, NB | +22.1% | 2,810 → 3,430 |
Regions with the biggest drop in open jobs over the same year, on the same basis.
| Region | Change | Open jobs |
|---|---|---|
| Truro, NS | −26.2% | 2,290 → 1,690 |
| Bridgewater, NS | −20.7% | 1,620 → 1,285 |
| Gatineau, QC | −19.4% | 3,100 → 2,500 |
| Fort St. John, BC | −18.9% | 1,695 → 1,375 |
| Prince George, BC | −17.9% | 2,845 → 2,335 |
The job vacancy rate is the number of open jobs as a share of all jobs, filled and open. A higher rate means employers are finding it harder to fill roles. Canada's rate was 2.8% in Q2 2026, down from a peak of 5.6% in Q2 2022.
It divides the number of unemployed people in a region by the number of open jobs there. Below 1 means there are more openings than people looking for work. Canada had 2.9 job seekers per open job in Q2 2026. It is a broad measure: it does not account for whether job seekers have the skills or live close enough for the jobs on offer. The three territories are not covered by the regional Labour Force Survey.
Each dot is one of Statistics Canada's 69 economic regions, placed at and named after its main centre. Its colour shows the vacancy rate, and its size shows the number of open jobs. Use the slider or the play button to move through time since 2015, switch to Change vs a year earlier to see where demand is rising or falling, or to Job seekers per open job to see where candidates are scarce.
Every quarter. Statistics Canada releases new job vacancy figures about two and a half months after each quarter ends. This page shows Q2 2026 data, released September 15, 2026. The next update is expected mid-December 2026.
Job vacancies, payroll employees and job vacancy rate by economic region, quarterly, seasonally adjusted, all occupations. Statistics Canada did not collect data for Q2 and Q3 2020.
Unemployment figures come from the Labour Force Survey: three-month averages by economic region, not seasonally adjusted, matched to each vacancy quarter (for example, April to June for Q2). The latest unemployment rates shown in each region's panel cover Jul–Sep 2026. The survey is released monthly.
Source: Statistics Canada, Table 14-10-0398-01 and Table 14-10-0462-01. Adapted from Statistics Canada data. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.