Labour Statistics at a Glance
Job vacancies after the peak: A look at the changing educational composition since 2022

In 2022, the number of job vacancies in Canada averaged 942,600, a record high since comparable data became available in 2015. During this period, the job vacancy rate–which corresponds to the number of vacant positions as a proportion of total labour demand–reached a peak of 5.4% while the unemployment rate dropped to an all-time low of 5.3%. This combination of rising job vacancies and falling unemployment reflected the particularly tight labour market conditions in the post-pandemic period.

The increase in job vacancies from 2019 to 2022 was primarily driven by positions requiring lower levels of educational attainment (Morissette, 2023). At the peak in the second quarter of 2022, vacancies for positions requiring a high school diploma or less accounted for over 60% of the total vacancies. Following this peak, vacancies dropped by nearly half (-47.1%) to 545,900 in the second quarter of 2025, coinciding with many socio-economic changes such as strong population growth, variation in interest rates, global economic shocks and more recently trade uncertainty with the United States. Job vacancies for positions requiring a high school diploma or less declined the most over the period (-347,900; -54.7%).

Using data from the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS) from 2019 to 2025, this article analyzes changing composition of job vacancies over the three years from the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, with a focus on educational levels required for the vacant positions. More specifically, this article examines:

1. The sectors that have driven the observed changes in job vacancies across different educational levels.
2. The shift in the composition of vacancies by educational level within individual sectors.
3. Whether comparable changes have occurred in the composition of the unemployed population by educational attainment.

This analysis examines the extent to which the decline in vacancies over the past three years has been driven by changes in employer demand for high-skilled or low-skilled workers across and within sectors. It also examines whether changes in labour demand were accompanied by corresponding changes in the composition of the unemployed population, helping to assess potential mismatches between labour supply and demand across education levels.

Data table for Chart 1

Data table for chart 1 Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 1 Bachelor's degree or above, Other non-university certificate and university certificates below a bachelor's degree, Trade certificate or diploma and High school diploma or less, calculated using thousands units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	Bachelor's degree or above	Other non-university certificate and university certificates below a bachelor's degree	Trade certificate or diploma	High school diploma or less
	thousands
Note .. not available for a specific reference period Notes: Job Vacancy and Wage Survey data collection was suspended for the second and third quarters of 2020. Therefore, data for these reference periods are not available. Data are not seasonally adjusted. Source: Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (5217), table 14-10-0443-01.
2019
Quarter 1	67.2	96.2	43.1	302.1
Quarter 2	70.7	97.8	53.5	362.4
Quarter 3	68.9	89.7	51.5	355.8
Quarter 4	69.0	87.4	45.3	309.7
2020
Quarter 1	74.9	92.7	57.0	291.0
Quarter 2	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period
Quarter 3	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period
Quarter 4	72.1	98.4	63.2	329.1
2021
Quarter 1	81.7	105.1	62.7	305.2
Quarter 2	92.7	117.2	77.6	445.3
Quarter 3	102.6	125.9	100.6	584.1
Quarter 4	106.5	140.8	100.5	568.0
2022
Quarter 1	115.3	150.1	107.0	518.1
Quarter 2	123.7	158.0	114.1	636.4
Quarter 3	117.1	147.2	120.9	606.7
Quarter 4	113.0	139.2	107.4	496.4
2023
Quarter 1	106.9	138.7	102.3	433.4
Quarter 2	103.1	139.8	102.1	473.1
Quarter 3	98.3	127.0	97.8	414.4
Quarter 4	94.6	123.4	86.5	341.8
2024
Quarter 1	97.6	122.0	82.2	300.0
Quarter 2	94.0	117.9	77.1	332.2
Quarter 3	90.5	111.6	74.8	295.5
Quarter 4	88.2	107.1	71.8	250.4
2025
Quarter 1	86.9	102.8	67.3	233.1
Quarter 2	86.2	102.4	68.7	288.6

Number of vacancies for positions requiring a high school diploma or less falls below pre-pandemic levels

Job vacancies followed an upward trend over the three years from 2019 to 2022. From the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2022, the number of job vacancies increased across all educational levels. However, the majority of the overall increase were accounted for by vacant positions requiring a high school diploma or less, which increased by 274,000 (+75.6%).^Note 

After 2022, job vacancies declined sharply for positions requiring a high school diploma or less, dropping by more than half (-54.7%) from 636,400 in the second quarter of 2022 to 291,700 in the second quarter of 2025. This brought the number of vacancies for this level of educational requirements below pre-pandemic averages (332,500 in 2019). In comparison, downward trends for vacant positions requiring higher levels of education were less pronounced (Table 1 & Chart 2).

For example, job vacancies requiring a trade certificate or diploma more than doubled (+113.3%) from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2022, before declining by 39.8% over the following three years. Vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree or above rose by 74.9% over the same period, before declining by 30.3% over the following three years (Table 1).

Taken together, in the second quarter of 2025, vacancies requiring educational attainment above a high school diploma remained higher than before the pandemic.

Data table for Chart 2

Data table for chart 2 Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 2 All levels of education, Bachelor's degree or above, Other non-university certificate and university certificates below a bachelor's degree, Trade certificate or diploma and High school diploma or less, calculated using index (first quarter of 2019 = 100) units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	All levels of education	Bachelor's degree or above	Other non-university certificate and university certificates below a bachelor's degree	Trade certificate or diploma	High school diploma or less
	index (first quarter of 2019 = 100)
Note .. not available for a specific reference period Notes: Job Vacancy and Wage Survey data collection was suspended for the second and third quarters of 2020. Therefore, data for these reference periods are not available. Data are not seasonally adjusted. Source: Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (5217), table 14-10-0443-01.
2019
Quarter 1	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0	100.0
Quarter 2	114.9	105.2	101.7	124.2	120.0
Quarter 3	111.3	102.4	93.2	119.6	117.8
Quarter 4	100.5	102.6	90.9	105.1	102.5
2020
Quarter 1	101.4	111.4	96.4	132.4	96.3
Quarter 2	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period
Quarter 3	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period	.. not available for a specific reference period
Quarter 4	110.6	107.3	102.3	146.7	108.9
2021
Quarter 1	109.1	121.6	109.3	145.7	101.0
Quarter 2	144.1	137.9	121.9	180.2	147.4
Quarter 3	179.6	152.6	130.9	233.6	193.3
Quarter 4	180.1	158.4	146.4	233.4	188.0
2022
Quarter 1	175.1	171.5	156.1	248.4	171.5
Quarter 2	203.0	184.0	164.3	264.9	210.7
Quarter 3	195.0	174.2	153.0	280.7	200.8
Quarter 4	168.3	168.0	144.7	249.4	164.3
2023
Quarter 1	153.6	159.0	144.2	237.5	143.4
Quarter 2	160.9	153.4	145.4	237.0	156.6
Quarter 3	145.0	146.3	132.1	227.1	137.2
Quarter 4	127.1	140.8	128.3	200.8	113.1
2024
Quarter 1	118.3	145.2	126.9	190.8	99.3
Quarter 2	122.1	139.8	122.5	178.9	110.0
Quarter 3	112.5	134.7	116.0	173.6	97.8
Quarter 4	101.8	131.2	111.4	166.8	82.9
2025
Quarter 1	96.4	129.3	106.9	156.2	77.2
Quarter 2	107.3	128.2	106.5	159.6	95.5

Sectoral composition of vacant positions changes

Three sectors contributed the most to the decline in job vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less over the three-year period ending in the second quarter of 2025. These were accommodation and food services (-90,400; -58.9%), retail trade (-56,800; -57.8%) and manufacturing (-37,500; -63.8%)—which together accounted for more the half (55.4%) of the overall drop in the number of vacancies for this educational group (Table 2).

Meanwhile, there was a shift in the sectoral composition of vacancies requiring a trade certificate or diploma, with vacancies in the construction sector falling at a faster pace (-46.5%) than vacancies in health care and social assistance (-29.2%). In second quarter of 2025, health care and social assistance held the largest share of vacancies requiring a trade certificate or diploma, at 21.8%, up from 18.6% in the second quarter of 2019. Vacancies requiring a trade certificate or diploma in the health care and social assistance sector were most often for nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates. In comparison, the construction sector accounted for 18.3% of vacancies requiring a trade certificate or diploma in the second quarter of 2025, down from 20.7% in the second quarter of 2022.

Over the same three-year period, vacancies requiring other non-university certificates or university certificates below a bachelor's fell from 158,000 to 102,400 (-35.2%). Within this education level, the largest declines were observed in health care and social assistance (-13,700; -23.7%), professional, scientific and technical services (-12,100; -55.5%) and finance and insurance (-6,500; -52.7%).

Positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or above accounted for 12.0% of all vacancies in the second quarter of 2022—just above the share for trade certificate or diploma (11.1%). In the second quarter of 2025, this proportion had risen to 15.8%.

Despite this increase in its share of overall vacancies, the total number of vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree or above declined from 123,700 to 86,200 over the three-year period ending in the second quarter of 2025. Nearly half (46.7%) of this decrease was accounted for by vacancies in the professional, scientific and technical services sector, which fell by 17,500 (-48.0%). In comparison, vacancies in health care and social assistance requiring this level of education fell at a slower rate (-4.9%). In the second quarter of 2025, health care and social assistance represented the largest share of vacancies requiring a bachelor’s degree or above (27.7%).

Demand for more specialized workers increases, particularly in manufacturing, retail trade, as well as health care and social assistance

From the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, job vacancies across many major economic sectors shifted toward higher educational requirements, with notable decreases in positions requiring a high school diploma or less. This trend reflects growing demand for more specialized workers, including in sectors like manufacturing, retail trade, and health care and social assistance.

This shift in educational requirements was particularly evident in manufacturing. From the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, the proportion of vacancies in manufacturing requiring a high school diploma or less decreased from 67.5% to 57.1%. Across manufacturing and utilities occupations, the largest decreases in vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less were observed for labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities as well as machine operators, assemblers and inspectors in processing, manufacturing and printing. At the same time, the proportions of vacancies in manufacturing requiring a trade certificate or diploma (+1.8 percentage points to 16.4%), other non-university certificates or university certificates below a bachelor's (+3.6 percentage points to 13.6%), and a bachelor's degree or above (+5.0 percentage points to 12.9%) all increased.

A similar shift also took place in construction where vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less decreased from 66.3% to 61.3%. The most notable drops occurred among helpers and labourers, as well as transport drivers, operators, and general trades workers. At the same time, there were increases in the proportion of vacancies for positions requiring a trade certificate or diploma (from 26.2% to 28.8%), other non-university certificate or diploma below bachelor's level (from 5.5% to 6.4%), and bachelor's degree or above (from 2.0% to 3.4%).

In health care and social assistance, the share of vacant positions requiring a high school diploma or less decreased from 25.0% to 20.7% from the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, while the share of vacant positions requiring bachelor’s degree or above increased from 18.1% to 22.8%. Job vacancies requiring other non-university university certificates or university certificates below a bachelor's continued posting the highest share of vacancies in the sector, at 42.3%.

Data table for Chart 3

Data table for chart 3 Table summary
This table displays the results of Data table for chart 3 2022 Q2 and 2025 Q2, calculated using percent units of measure (appearing as column headers).

	2022 Q2	2025 Q2
	percent
Note: Data are not seasonally adjusted. Source: Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (5217), table 14-10-0443-01.
Manufacturing
High school diploma or less	67.5	57.6
Trade certificate or diploma	14.7	16.4
Other non-university certificate or diploma below bachelor's level	10.0	13.6
Bachelor's degree or above	7.9	12.9
Construction
High school diploma or less	66.3	61.3
Trade certificate or diploma	26.2	28.8
Other non-university certificate or diploma below bachelor's level	5.5	6.4
Bachelor's degree or above	2.0	3.4
Health care and social assistance
High school diploma or less	25.0	20.7
Trade certificate or diploma	15.2	14.3
Other non-university certificate or diploma below bachelor's level	41.8	42.3
Bachelor's degree or above	18.1	22.8
Retail trade
High school diploma or less	88.4	82.4
Trade certificate or diploma	5.5	6.8
Other non-university certificate or diploma below bachelor's level	4.0	6.6
Bachelor's degree or above	2.1	4.3

Decline in the number of job vacancies coincides with rising unemployment

While job vacancies declined from the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, the number of unemployed people increased across all educational levels. According to the Labour Force Survey,^Note  the largest percentage increase in unemployment was among individuals with a bachelor’s degree or above (+66.1%; +168,100), followed by those with a high school diploma or less (+40.2%; +209,600) (Table 3).

A combination of fewer job vacancies and rising unemployment signals a softening in overall labour demand. This trend appeared to have affected both high- and low-skilled workers.

Since the second quarter of 2022, the unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio increased for all levels of education. The biggest increase was recorded for bachelor’s degree or above, with the ratio rising from 2.1 to 4.9 unemployed persons with a bachelor’s degree or above for each vacancy requiring this level of education. This was followed by high school diploma or less, with the ratio rising from 0.8 to 2.5 unemployed persons with a high school diploma or less for each vacancy requiring this level of education in the second quarter of 2025.

Across all levels of education, the highest unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio in the second quarter of 2025 was recorded for positions requiring a bachelor’s degree or above (4.9) while the lowest was for positions requiring a trades certificate or diploma (1.8). This suggests that unemployed people with a bachelor’s degree or higher face greater competition in the labour market, in comparison with those seeking a position requiring a trade certificate or diploma.

Conclusion

Since the number of job vacancies peaked at nearly one million (942,600) in 2022, the Canadian labour market has gone through significant structural shifts. While the overall number of job vacancies fell nearly by half (-47.1%) from the second quarter of 2022 to the second quarter of 2025, this decline was not evenly distributed across all educational levels. Positions requiring a high school diploma or less recorded the largest decrease, returning to levels below those seen before the COVID-19 pandemic. In comparison, while vacancies requiring higher education levels also declined, they remained above pre-pandemic levels.

Industries such as accommodation and food services, retail trade, and manufacturing were primary drivers behind the steep reduction in positions requiring a high school diploma or less. At the same time, many sectors, including manufacturing and construction, experienced a shift toward vacancies with higher educational requirements, suggesting higher skill demands in the labour market in these sectors.

However, parallel to the shift toward jobs that require a bachelor's degree or above, the number of job seekers with these qualifications has also increased.

Start of text box

Vacancies continue to decline for all education levels in the third quarter of 2025

The analysis presented in this article focuses on the period from the second quarter of 2022, when vacancies reached a record high, to the second quarter of 2025. Focusing on data from corresponding quarters over this three-year period facilitates meaningful comparisons of data over time, of which are not seasonally adjusted. Data for the third quarter of 2025 were released on December 16, 2025. While they are not directly comparable to data for the second quarter of 2022, they offer insights into the most recent trends in vacancies by educational attainment.

In the third quarter of 2025, job vacancies fell by 14,000 (-2.8%) to 492,500, continuing the decline recorded in the second quarter of 2025 (-18,300; -3.5%). Compared with a year earlier, job vacancies were down for all educational levels. Vacancies requiring a high school diploma or less fell the most (-27,300; -9.0%) and accounted for nearly half (-49.4%) of the overall year-over-year decline in job vacancies. (data in this section are seasonally adjusted)

For more information, see: Job vacancies, third quarter 2025.

End of text box

Appendix

References

Morissette, René. 2023. “Unemployment and job vacancies by education, 2016 to 2022”. Economic and Social Reports. Statistics Canada Catalogue no 36-28-0001.