Nationally, job openings in May increased by 7 per cent month-over-month and were up 25 per cent over the same time last year. This growth in job postings in May marks the fourth month in a row that we have seen increased opportunities being posted online. Workopolis is expecting to see increased hiring continue through the month of June and into the summer.

Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate rose slightly to 7% as more people entered the labour market. And this is actually a good sign. What we really don’t like is when we hear that the unemployment rate has fallen simply because people have given up on finding a job. That shows a deep level of discouragement at market conditions.

But this is the opposite scenario as more people get that the job market is steadily improving. Canada added 26,000 new jobs in May and this continues the two steps forward, one step back, slow but steady growth in employment that we’ve seen since the end of the recession.

Last month saw significant gains in employment for younger workers, as there were 50,000 more employed people in the 15 to 24-year-old demographic. This is the largest gains that this group has seen in a year. Which makes sense seasonally, as with the end of the school year, this is the time when many young people enter the labour market.

Statistics Canada sees all of the job growth currently happening in part-time jobs, and that corresponds with some of the industries that we’re seeing posting the most opportunities online right now.

Some of the largest growth is in the Hospitality sector – and that’s a field that often employs both full and part-time workers. Job postings for this sector are up over 30% year-over-year. The most sought-after job titles in this sector include:

  • Cooks
  • Food Service Supervisors
  • Food Counter Attendants, Kitchen Helpers
  • Hairstylists and Barbers

To help with the demand for workers in this sector, Workopolis has just launched a new Hospitality Jobs hub on our site, and it currently has over 2,500 jobs in hospitality available right now.

Healthcare is the fastest growing industry for employment, up 68,000 workers year-over year. This will continue to be a trend for the foreseeable future as the demographic realities of an aging population put more and more demands on the healthcare system.

Top Healthcare jobs posted over the past 12 months:

    1. Registered Nurses
    2. Pharmacists
    3. Dental Assistants
    4. Licensed Practical Nurses
    5. Head Nurses and Supervisors

Healthcare occupations that have been trending upward over the past year:

    1. Specialist physicians
    2. Nurse Aides, Orderlies and Patient Service Associates
    3. General Practitioners and Family Physicians
    4. Medical Radiation Technologists
    5. Respiratory Therapists, Cardiopulmonary Technologists


The west continues to see solid gains in employment as Alberta added 16,000 jobs in May. Saskatchewan continues to have an unemployment rate of under 4% – the lowest in the country.

This was a good news report for Ontario. This province has seen increased employment for five months in a row now, as Ontario gained 15,000 jobs in May and 58,000 so far this year – roughly 17,000 of them full-time positions.

Manufacturing in Ontario continues to lose jobs. There are 15,000 fewer people working in this sector than at this time last year. May saw this trend continuing with a reduction of 8,000 jobs from the previous month.

Quebec continues to struggle. While there was little change in employment in May, this province has lost 30,000 jobs this year, bringing the unemployment rate to 8%, the highest it’s been in a year.

While we do see an increase in job postings for Quebec (up 8 per cent in May over April), they are growing at a slower rate year-over-year than other provinces.

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Peter Harris
– Peter Harris on Twitter

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