Job vacancies continued to slide in the second quarter of 2025, falling 12.7% (-72,900), to 505,900, Statistics Canada said.
Compared with the first quarter of 2025, there were 18,800 fewer vacancies — a 3.6% drop. That followed a similar 20,000 (-3.7%) decline in Q1 from the previous quarter.
There was little change for part-time positions, but full-time vacancies fell 5.1%. Both permanent and temporary positions saw a decline.
At the same time, total labour demand fell by 54,800 (-0.3%) in the second quarter due to a combined decrease in job vacancies and payroll employment.
The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio was highest for jobs requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher, reaching 4.9 in the second quarter, compared with 4 in the previous quarter. In contrast, there were 2.7 unemployed persons per job vacancy requiring other non-university certificates and university certificates below a bachelor’s degree, and 2.5 unemployed persons for each vacancy requiring a high school diploma or less.
The ratio was lowest for positions requiring a trade certificate or diploma, at 1.8.
Despite the higher unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio, the average offered hourly wage for job vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree or higher was $43.60, more than twice the average offered hourly wage for vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less ($21.65).
The average hourly wage offered for vacant positions rose 4.5% ($1.20) to $28 in the second quarter of 2025 compared with the same period last year. This was a slower pace than the 6.1% year-over-year increase to $28.90 in the first quarter, on a non-seasonally adjusted basis.
Job vacancies decreased in six broad occupational groups: trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (-5,900 or -6.1%); health (-5,600 or -7.5%); business, finance and administration (-3,300 or 4.7%); education, law and social, community and government services (-2,000 or -4%); manufacturing and utilities (-1,500 or -8.4%); and legislative and senior management (-300 or -23.3%). Art, culture, recreation and sport (+900 or +9.5%) was the only broad occupational group to see an increase in job vacancies in the second quarter.
For the quarter, job vacancies decreased in Quebec (-7,600 to 113,300), Ontario (-7,300 to 179,000), Manitoba (-1,000 to 18,700), Newfoundland and Labrador (-800 to 4,600) and Prince Edward Island (-500 to 2,000). There was little change in the other provinces and territories.