Canada Adds Over 90,000 Jobs In December — Surprising Economists

Canada’s job market ended 2024 on a strong note, with 91,000 new jobs added in December. Full-time positions and growth in industries like education, transportation, and health care drove these gains. The unemployment rate dropped to 6.7%, surprising experts who thought it would go up. These numbers show the job market is stronger than expected, but there’s more to the story.

Self-employment grew by 24,000 last month, which may show that some people are having trouble finding regular jobs. Many Canadians are also taking on side hustles or freelance work to help with the rising cost of living or frustrations with job quality. While this shows creativity and resilience, it raises questions about the stability and quality of these jobs.

The strong job growth has also made it less likely that the Bank of Canada will cut interest rates aggressively in the near term — though theres around a 50/50 chance the BOC will reduce the interest rate at its next meeting. Even though the job market is improving, issues like slow wage growth and job quality still need attention in the year ahead.

You can read the Statistics Canada release with the December data here.

Key Takeaways

• Employment Growth: Canada’s Labour Force Survey for December 2024 reports an increase in employment by 91,000 (+0.4%), with the employment rate rising by 0.2 percentage points to 60.8%. This marks the third employment gain in the past four months.
• Unemployment Rate: The unemployment rate declined by 0.1 percentage points to 6.7% in December, indicating a slight improvement in the labor market.
• Sectoral Employment: Employment gains were notable in educational services (+17,000; +1.1%), transportation and warehousing (+17,000; +1.6%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (+16,000; +1.1%), and health care and social assistance (+16,000; +0.5%).
• Regional Employment: Employment increased in several provinces, including Alberta (+35,000; +1.4%), Ontario (+23,000; +0.3%), British Columbia (+14,000; +0.5%), Nova Scotia (+7,400; +1.4%), and Saskatchewan (+4,000; +0.7%), while there was a decline in Manitoba (-7,200; -1.0%).
• Wage Growth: Average hourly wages among employees were up 3.8% (+$1.32 to $35.77) on a year-over-year basis in December, following growth of 4.1% in November.

While the rise in employment is encouraging, the unemployment rate remains elevated compared to pre-pandemic levels, suggesting that challenges persist in the labor market. The BoC’s recent rate cut aims to address these challenges by encouraging economic activity and job creation.

Challenges Remain for Newcomers 

While signs are pointing towards the job market heating up in Canada in 2025 and employers in many sectors are still experiencing widespread labour shortages, it’s not all good news in the economy.

Growth is sluggish and spending is likely going to increase slowly over the next twelve months, not all at once like we saw following the pandemic. Plus, companies are going to need to adapt to new economic conditions. In other words, change over the next 12 months will likely be slow and frustrating.

If you’re looking to land a role in Canada or to move into your dream role, it’s important that you put your best foot forward. Our resources can help.

Here are some new expert resources researched and published by the Moving2Canada team:

• Tips to help you succeed on LinkedIn — Optimize your profile, grow your network, and land your dream job In Canada.
• How salary negotiation in Canada works — Key insights and advice for after you’ve been invited to interview for a role.

Of course, to be invited to interview you’ll need a strong, Canada-style resume, and usually an accompanying cover letter. We’ve helped tens of thousands improve their job search with the templates that come with a free Moving2Canada. If you haven’t created your account yet, now is the time to jump on board. Create your Moving2Canada account here.

Expert resources to help immigrants get jobs in Canada

Canada’s job market provides a wealth of opportunity for newcomers, but it is only that — an opportunity.

To take full advantage, recent and prospective immigrants can leverage free government-funded resources and programs. We recently partnered with Canada InfoNet, a government-funded pre-arrival employment support program, to bring you two expert guides on transitioning to a career in Canada:

• Transitioning to the Canadian job market
• How to find a career mentor in Canada

The outlook on Canadian construction and infrastructure

Ruairi Spillaine, Outpost Recruitment and Moving2Canada founder, analyzes what’s happening in the construction sector in Canada.

“Another interest rate drop from the Bank of Canada gives hope for a flagging Canadian economy. It seems apparent that the Canadian economy is set for a squeeze after a long period of aggressive interest rate hikes, which had been required to combat runaway inflation. Timing when to encourage borrowing again is a tricky art so it feels like a soft landing is somewhat uncertain when you look at the overall economy. Concerns around the health of the US economy over the past week will make the Canadian economy nervous given their close ties.

Thankfully the construction sector is continuing to boom but primarily due to public expenditure given private investment has been choked by higher interest rates.“

 

If you are interested in working in Canada’s construction sector, Outpost helps motivated candidates find suitable jobs in Canada.

The agency works with general contractors, subcontractors, developers, and consultants who are hiring across senior management, operations, project management, site, design, quality, and commercial personnel.

Outpost Recruitment is actively looking for candidates for projects across Canada. View the latest job postings here.

How to take advantage in Canada’s job market

The Moving2Canada team has a special feature for people who want to get a job in Canada or accelerate their career here. Readers can now opt in to hear from recruiters and employers we partner with and upload a resume to their account, all for free.

• If you already have a Moving2Canada account, sign in here and complete or update your profile to hear about job opportunities.
• If you don’t already have a Moving2Canada account, please register here and complete your profile.

We’re excited to help more newcomers and people wishing to move to Canada in their career goals.

How to get a job in Canada

If you’re looking for a job in Canada here are some steps you can take to land that sweet, sweet Canadian job offer.

• Get your resume in good shape. This crucial step is often left down the list of job seekers’ priorities, despite being arguably the most important step of all. Read our Canadian resume guide to get going.
• Start looking at open opportunities. Some companies are still hiring. Don’t believe us? Head over to our Jobs Board, populated daily with new positions across Canada.
• Build your network. You can assemble a team to help you in your job search. With ongoing physical distancing and travel restrictions, technology is your friend here. Read our networking guide, written by award-winning entrepreneur Ruairi Spillane, for expert advice.

Here’s a popular webinar from recruitment expert and Moving2Canada founder, Ruairi Spillane, about how to create the best resume for the Canadian jobs market:

New and improved Jobs Board

We have worked hard over recent weeks to ramp up the number and range of job postings on our Jobs Board.

We also have a number of other resources for helping you find your career in Canada. You’ll find broad-stroke information that will arm you with the knowledge you need to succeed, as well as industry-specific insights into finding jobs by industry, such as teaching.

Don’t forget to complete or update your Moving2Canada profile to hear about job opportunities in your industry in Canada!

Want to dig deeper into the Canada Jobs Report data? Try these interactive tools, courtesy of StatsCan.