Number of employees in the agriculture sector, 2024
Released: 2026-05-07
Number of employees in the agriculture sector edges up in 2024
There were 280,991 employees in the agriculture sector in 2024, edging up 0.1% from 2023.
Almost half of all agricultural workers were employed in horticulture industries in 2024, led by greenhouse, nursery and floriculture production (+1.6% to 64,682), and vegetable and melon farming (+3.5% to 36,105), while employment in fruit and tree nut farming (-9.0% to 28,271) declined year over year. Oilseed and grain farming remained the second-largest employer in the sector, with its number of agricultural employees rising 1.1% to 49,456.
Seasonal employees accounted for almost half (48.6%) of all agricultural workers in 2024 (136,603), down from 49.5% in 2023, continuing the gradual decline in the share of seasonal employees in recent years. Full-time employment rose 1.8% to 103,948, while part-time employment was up 1.5% to 40,440.
Farms in Ontario continued to employ the largest number of workers (83,363) in 2024, up 1.2% from 2023. Quebec followed with 69,717 employees (+0.9%).
In 2024, employment in the agriculture sector declined year over year in Alberta (-0.3% to 37,946) and British Columbia (-4.3% to 30,905).
Fewer temporary foreign workers employed in agriculture sector
Following a sharp increase in 2023, the number of temporary foreign workers employed in the agriculture sector was down 6.2% to 74,789 in 2024.
In 2024, temporary foreign workers in agriculture continued to come primarily from Mexico (32,036) and Guatemala (19,443), which together accounted for the majority of temporary foreign workers. Jamaica (8,812) remained the third-largest source country.
Ontario (33,968) continued to employ the largest number of temporary foreign workers in agriculture in 2024, accounting for over two in five temporary foreign workers. Quebec followed with 22,206 workers, while British Columbia (11,012) ranked third.
Note to readers
The number of employees was derived from T4 slips produced by agricultural businesses identified by the Agriculture Taxation Data Program. The "full-time," "part-time" and "seasonal employee" categories were derived from these employees' employment incomes, which were compared with the median wage of agricultural workers in their industry as reported in the Labour Force Survey, as well as the monthly employee account reported by agricultural businesses through payroll deductions and payments.
A farm is defined as an operation that produces at least one agricultural product and will report revenue and/or expenses for that agricultural production to the Canada Revenue Agency, as opposed to the previous definition based on the intention to sell agricultural commodities.
Data for this series are subject to revision up to five years prior to the current reference year.
Today's release on estimates of agricultural employees is part of Statistics Canada's AgZero modernization project. This project uses leading-edge methods, data integration and advanced technologies to reduce the response burden on farmers to as close to zero as possible.
The Census of Agriculture is happening in May 2026!
Every five years, farm operators across Canada complete the Census of Agriculture.
Insights from the 2026 Census will provide crucial information about the agriculture sector in Canada to help make business decisions.
For more information on agriculture and food, visit the Agriculture and food statistics portal.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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