Canada saw its first increase in job vacancies since early 2024, with openings rising to 486,000 in September 2025. The 5.5% monthly gain ended a long period of decline, although vacancies remained 9.3% lower than a year earlier, confirming that hiring demand is still softer than in 2024.
The job vacancy rate edged up to 2.7%, while the unemployment-to-vacancy ratio declined to 3.3 as job openings increased and unemployment stayed largely unchanged. This signals a small improvement in labour market conditions after months of weakening.
Construction and manufacturing drove much of the increase, while health care continued to see the largest year-over-year drop in vacancies. Provincially, only Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador recorded monthly gains.
From an immigration perspective, the data suggest limited near-term pressure for broad immigration expansion, but continued demand in specific sectors could still support targeted selection through programs such as Express Entry category-based draws and provincial nomination streams. Overall, the figures point to stabilization rather than a strong rebound in labour demand.
