Employment

Canadian Retailers Keep Expanding as Staffing Gets Leaner

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retailers continue opening stores as employment data weaken. Suzanne Sears explains leaner staffing, part-time hiring, wages and changing retail jobs.

Canada loses 42,000 jobs in August: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Wholesale and retail trade (-55,000; -1.8%) recorded the largest decline across industries over the past 12 months.

Retail payroll employment declines in June: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
In June, the largest monthly declines in retail trade were in grocery and convenience retailers (-1,200; -0.3%).

Canadian Restaurants Avoid Broad Food Tariff Hit as Supply Costs Face Pressure

Craig Patterson -
Restaurants Canada welcomes Ottawa’s targeted tariff approach, but new duties on packaging, equipment and selected foods could add costs for operators.

Canadian Retail Hiring Rebounds, but Labour Market Remains Uneven

Craig Patterson -
Canadian retail hiring is recovering, but employers face challenges involving wages, specialized talent, part-time work and career progression, says Suzanne Sears.

Employment in retail continues to increase: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
The monthly increase in May was concentrated in food and beverage retailers (+5,100; +1.0%), motor vehicle and parts dealers (+1,100; +0.5%) and general merchandise retailers (+1,000; +0.4%).

Daily Synopsis: July 14, 2026

Retail Insider -
Fake fashion stores mislead Canadian consumers online, how malls have sifted with society, Steve's Music auctioning remaining gear, Healthy Planet opening store, Frenchy's thrift store gets own musical, and other news.

Employment increases in accommodation and food services sector: Statistics Canada

Mario Toneguzzi -
Employment was little changed in June, but accommodation and food services led gains with 15,000 new jobs, Statistics Canada said.

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.
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