Canadian Job Market Reveals Underlying Disparities Amid Growth

Statistics Canada released its latest labour force data, revealing that Canada added approximately 8,200 jobs in December 2025, despite a rise in the unemployment rate to 6.8 percent from 6.5 percent the previous month. This increase in employment marks a 1 percent growth compared to 2024, but the overall picture suggests a complex and uncertain job market, according to economist Kaylie Tiessen of the Canadian SHIELD Institute.

Tiessen highlighted that the headline figures might suggest a stable job market, but they conceal significant disparities when analyzing the data by province, age group, and gender. “You could be forgiven for thinking…that it was kind of a ‘blah’ year for workers across Canada,” Tiessen stated. “But those overarching talking points mask a significant amount of turmoil under the surface.”

Disparities in Employment Opportunities

The findings indicate that while the national employment numbers appear stable, there are underlying issues. In British Columbia, for instance, 32,000 more jobs were created in 2025 compared to 2024, with about 60 percent of these being part-time positions. This trend raises concerns about income insecurity, as part-time jobs generally offer lower wages.

Economist Iglika Ivanova, co-executive director at BC Policy Solutions, emphasized the implications of these trends, stating, “Part-time jobs usually result in lower incomes, and so income insecurity and financial insecurity are the kind of things that we’d worry about going forward.” Furthermore, the number of Canadians holding multiple jobs reached a ten-year high of 1,178,600 in 2025, which Tiessen characterized as a sign of precarity in the labour market.

The data also revealed gender disparities among those aged 25 and older. Between December 2024 and December 2025, approximately 114,000 more women entered the workforce compared to 67,000 more men, with a larger proportion of women’s jobs being full-time. Tiessen noted that more research is needed to understand the reasons behind these differences.

Challenges for Younger Workers

The job market remains particularly challenging for younger Canadians. The unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 rose to 13.8 percent, up from 13.1 percent in 2024. Tiessen pointed out that younger workers have experienced a more significant increase in unemployment compared to their older counterparts, raising concerns about their future employment prospects as summer approaches and more young people seek jobs.

Ivanova remarked on the broader economic context, reflecting on the unexpected performance of the Canadian economy over the past year. “The economy, in general, performed better than was expected — or feared — but that doesn’t mean that people are seeing improvements,” she said. This sentiment underscores the disconnect between national job figures and the lived experiences of many Canadians.

As employment trends evolve, it becomes increasingly important to monitor the gaps in economic security and the impact of part-time work on income levels. The data from Statistics Canada suggests that while the job market has shown some resilience, varying experiences among different demographics necessitate a more nuanced understanding of the current economic landscape.

In summary, while Canada’s overall job numbers may appear stable, the underlying disparities in employment opportunities highlight a complex and often precarious reality for many workers across the country.