Employment

Retail Remains an Outlier as Canada’s Labour Market Rebounds

Craig Patterson -
Canada added 88,000 jobs in May, but retail lost 35,000. Suzanne Sears explains how careers, hiring and AI are reshaping retail employment.

Daily Synopsis: Jun 5, 2026

Retail Insider -
Questions about Zellers' success in struggling retail sector, pot stores have high hopes for World Cup fans, downtown Calgary Hudson's Bay building shows signs of disrepair, widespread criminal gangs hit retail, and other news.

Food World Plus Set to Transform Former Highland Farms in Mississauga

Lee Rivett -
Food World Plus is preparing to open a massive international grocery and food destination in a former Highland Farms space in Mississauga.

Daily Synopsis: May 11, 2026

Retail Insider -
Atelier Munro opens in Vancouver, Ikea opens plan-and-order store in Gatineau, PST retailer relief discussed in Manitoba, Golf Canada expands merch offerings, and other news.

Canadian Retailers Keep Expanding, So Why Are Jobs Disappearing?

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retailers continue expanding while retail employment declines, raising questions about staffing, service levels, and the future of in-store retail.

Daily Synopsis: May 8, 2026

Retail Insider -
Leon's sees Q1 dip, Grocery store expansion in BC, city-run grocery stores could have benefits, Metropolis at Metrotown Centre marks 40 years, FreshCo expands in Ottawa, and other news.

Canadian unemployment rate increases in April: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
April marked the second consecutive month of little change after a February decline of 84,000 jobs, Statistics Canada said.

Job vacancies held steady in Q4 2025: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The job vacancy rate—which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand—held steady at 2.8% for the third straight quarter.

Canada loses 84,000 jobs in February, unemployment rate increases: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The largest declines were in wholesale and retail trade (-18,000; -0.6%).

Payroll employment in retail trade decreases in November: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Compared with one year earlier, payroll employment in retail trade was down 30,700 (-1.5%) in November.

Retail payroll employment declines: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The decline was driven by food and beverage retailers, says Statistics Canada.

Temporary Foreign Worker Program use drops 50%

Mario Toneguzzi -
Statistics Canada reports a major drop in TFW Program applications, highlighting trends in the labor market and employer reliance.

Canada adds 60,000 jobs in September: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Canada’s job market rebounded in September with 60,000 new jobs, led by gains in full-time and core-aged employment, says Statistics Canada.

Jobs continue to decline while unemployment rate rises: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
It was the second month in a row that employment has fallen in the country, says Statistics Canada.

Payroll employment in retail decreases: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Year over year, payroll employment in retail trade was down 26,900 (-1.3%) in June, says Statistics Canada.

Wholesale and retail trade sees 2nd consecutive month of job gains: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Employment in wholesale and retail trade increased by 34,000 (+1.1%) in June

SPECIAL REPORT: The State of Labour and Staffing in Canadian Retail: Navigating Change Amid Emerging Trends

Mario Toneguzzi -
As Canada’s retail industry continues to evolve post-pandemic, labour and staffing remain front and centre for businesses grappling with shifting economic realities, worker expectations, and technological change. From declining job vacancies to an industry-wide push for skills-based hiring, 2025 is shaping up to be a transformative year for the retail workforce.

Payroll employment declines in retail, accommodation and food services sectors

Mario Toneguzzi -
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment in Canada was up 124,300 (+0.7%) in February.

Retail trade records an increase in payroll employment in January: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The year-over-year payroll employment decline in the sector in January was led by sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers (-11,400; -5.4%), furniture, home furnishings, electronics and appliances retailers (-5,900; -5.5%) and general merchandise retailers (-3,000; -1.1%).

Wholesale and retail trade record highest employment gains: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Statistics Canada said employment in wholesale and retail trade has trended up in recent months, rising 107,000 (+3.7%) from a recent low point in July 2024.

Payroll employment continues to decline in retail trade: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The net decline from January to December (-39,500; -2.0%) was led by sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, book, and miscellaneous retailers (-14,500; -6.8%), says Statistics Canada.

Canada’s employment rises by 76,000 in January as unemployment rate drops to 6.6%

Mario Toneguzzi -
In January, employment gains were seen across various demographic groups.

Payroll employment higher than a year ago: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Statistics Canada says payroll employment in retail trade fell by 6,100 (-0.3%) in November, following little change in October and a decrease of 8,400 (-0.4%) in September.

Employment rises while unemployment rate decreases: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Canada added 91,000 jobs in December 2024, lowering unemployment to 6.7%, with gains in full-time roles and key industries like education and health care.

Canadian companies report optimistic 2025 hiring outlook

Mario Toneguzzi -
Almost three-quarters of companies (71%) feel positive about their hiring outlook over the coming year, with 39% feeling optimistic, 36% feeling confident, and 35% feeling hopeful.
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