Job vacancies on the Prairies have crept above the national average over the past two years, underscoring the strong demand for workers in some of the country’s strongest economies.
While the unemployment rate tells how many people are out of work, the rate of job vacancies highlights how badly employers need workers. When the economy reopened following the pandemic, job vacancy rates tracked by Statistics Canada surged across regions as hiring resumed. Yet the national rate remained above rates on the Prairies. (In B.C., a combination of factors ensures high job vacancies are a perennial issue.)
But as job vacancies were filled in 2023, openings on the Prairies began running higher than the national average. A hot job market meant workers remained in demand, and the region continues to see elevated job vacancy rates even as hiring activity has moderated.
Statscan data released July 31 shows Alberta now has the lowest job vacancy rate in the West, averaging 2.9 per cent in the first five months of this year and just above the national average of 2.8 per cent. Manitoba sits at 3.1 per cent, Saskatchewan at 3.2 per cent and B.C. at 3.3 per cent.
While job openings have fallen versus overall employment, Western Canada’s job market remains stronger than at the national level, supporting in-migration, demand for housing and wage growth – all factors fuelling economic activity despite macroeconomic uncertainties.
