What It’s Like to Work in Canada: A Snapshot of Working Conditions

The data comes from a new survey released by Statistics Canada. It asks workers in Canada about conditions such as work intensity, discrimination at work, work-life satisfaction and physical risk. 

Key Takeaways 

• Jobs in Canada carry a low risk of serious physical risks 
• Canada ranks high for work-life balance 
• Most workers say they feel supported 

Physical Risk 

As you might imagine, the chances of getting hurt on the job vary widely depending on the occupation.  

Generally, the two biggest risk factors involve ergonomic risks and ambient risks. Statistics Canada found that in 2024-2025, more than half of workers (54.3%) were frequently exposed to ergonomic risk factors, such as repetitive hand or arm movements. 

Ambient risks, such as high and low temperatures and loud noises, were experienced most often by 28% of workers overall.  

On closer inspection, this jumps to 65% for occupations in manufacturing and utilities, 64.9% for those in natural resources, agriculture and related production, and 64.7% for trades, transport and equipment operators. 

Healthcare is not for the Faint of Heart 

Healthcare occupations carry the highest chance of exposure to biological risk. Up to 46.6% of healthcare workers are exposed to harmful chemicals. It was also noted that healthcare occupations are faced with the most emotional risk, with 35.2% frequently in contact with angry, impatient, and generally unpleasant people. 

This could be part of the reason healthcare occupations carry some of the highest job vacancy rates of any employment sector in Canada.  

Work-Life Balance 

Probably the main concern when starting work in a new country (aside from pay!) is work-life balance. The most recent  Global Life-Work Balance Index 2025 by Remote HR, found that Canada ranks among the top ten countries for work-life balance. This means that in Canada you have a better than even chance of having a life outside of work. 

Statistics Canada’s report says that work-life balance is best among professional, scientific and technical services industry since they are the most likely (58.3%) to report being able to adapt their schedule or determine their own working hours. 

Remote HR found that Canada ranks high for statutory sick pay, public safety and LGBTQ+ inclusivity.  

Canada’s Employment Standards 

Employment law, the baseline of conditions employers need to provide, is generally under the jurisdiction of Canada’s provinces. The specifics can vary between them, but every province and territory is subject to an Employment Standards Act (ESA). This ensures that workers have safe and discrimination free working conditions. 

There are laws about how much overtime you can work and how much your employer needs to compensate you for working overtime. They must also provide safe working conditions. 

ESA’s include all temporary residents in Canada, including those participating in the Temporary Foreign Worker Program under a closed work permit. Employment and Social Development Canada will occasionally do inspections of participating employers to ensure they are following the rules. Those who don’t comply can face hefty fines. 

Support for Workers in Canada 

Working anywhere in the world can have its drawbacks but you can breathe a little easier knowing that in Canada there are employment standards, paid sick days and usually healthcare benefits. It also doesn’t hurt that most Canadian employees report feeling supported in their job. 

The data from Statistics Canada report shows that over 60% of all employees feel supported by their managers and colleagues. 

In the end, a full-time job in Canada is typically between 1,700 to 2,080 hours of your life every year. It’s important to make sure that you find something you can tolerate, or dare we say, enjoy. 

Need more information about working in Canada? You can start by joining the Moving2Canada community for career advice, tips and all the latest news.