Discover which industries are trending

These past years, the number of job vacancies has fluctuated between reaching record highs in certain industries to gradually declining in others. Factors like the country’s aging workforce and the pandemic have contributed to creating labour shortages in some of Canada’s key economic sectors. As a result, the labour market has a number of in-demand occupations and in-demand skills.  

Discover which sectors and occupations are in high demand and make education and training choices that are right for you. 

 

Top in-demand sectors and occupations   

Some industries have grown at a rapid pace and it’s been difficult for employers to fill vacant positions. Finding workers with the right skills for the job is one of the main labour challenges for employers. For example, across sectors, when it comes to skilled trades, over 256,000 new apprentices are needed over the next 5 years to meet demand in Canada. Here are some of the top sectors with a high demand for skilled workers and professionals.

1. Health care

The health care sector prevents and treats diseases, investigates their causes, and provides patients with the care they need. The pandemic created unprecedented labour demand for this sector, with close to half of all health care workers having to work overtime hours. From emergency medical technicians to nurses and optometrists, the choices are numerous when it comes to health care occupations. Some jobs involve assisting patients, developing new drugs and, manufacturing and transportation of medical equipment.

 

Top 10 occupations in Health care 

  1. Registered nurses (R.N.) and registered psychiatric nurses (R.P.N) (NOC 31301)
  2. Nurse aides, orderlies and patient service associates (NOC 33102)
  3. Early childhood educators (ECE) (NOC 42202)
  4. Social and community service workers (NOC 42201)
  5. Home support workers, caregivers and related occupations (NOC 44101)
  6. Licensed practical nurses (NOC 32101)
  7. Receptionists (NOC 14101)
  8. Medical administrative assistants (NOC 13112)
  9. General practitioners and family physicians (NOC 31102)
  10. Home childcare providers (NOC 44100) 

 

 

2. Skilled Trades and Construction

The demand for skilled trades is on the rise. With about 700,000 workers projected to retire between 2019 and 2028, and 300 designated trades to choose from in Canada, a career in skilled trades offers a lot of potential. Careers in Skilled Trades, especially within the construction sector which relates to building, maintaining, and repairing structures will experience an unprecedented demand. In fact, to solve the current housing crisis, Canada is building homes at a pace not seen in decades, and millions more are planned in the coming years, as part of the Federal Government’s home building strategy.

Top 10 occupations in Skilled Trades and Construction

  1. Construction trades helpers and labourers (NOC 75110) 
  2. Carpenters (NOC 72310) 
  3. Electricians (except industrial and power system) (NOC 72200) 
  4. Heavy equipment operators (NOC 73400) 
  5. Home building and renovation managers (NOC 70011) 
  6. Plumbers (NOC 72300) 
  7. Painters and decorators (NOC 73112)
  8. Contractors and supervisors, other construction trades, installers,repairers and servicers (NOC 72014)
  9. Residential and commercial installers and servicers (NOC 73200)
  10. Plasterers, drywall installers and finishers and lathers (NOC 73102)

 

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3. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

Information and communications technology (ICT) represents a long list of goods and services, including older technologies, such as the telephone and television, and more recent ones, such as mobile phones and the Internet.  With the rapid emergence and widespread use of technology in everyday life, there is little doubt that ICT is profoundly changing the way we communicate, process, and store information. Contributing substantially to Canada’s GDP, the ICT sector is in constant growth and offers a variety of career possibilities in both public and private sectors.

Top 10 occupations in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)

  1. Business systems specialists (NOC 21221)
  2. Web designers (NOC 21233)
  3. Software developers and programmers (NOC 21232)
  4. Software engineers and designers (NOC 21231)
  5. Database analysts and data administrators (NOC 21223)
  6. Information systems specialists (NOC 21222)
  7. Web developers and programmers (NOC 21234)
  8. Computer systems developers and programmers (NOC 21230)
  9. Data scientists (NOC 21211)
  10. Cybersecurity specialists (NOC 21220)

 

  

4. Green Sector

The Green Sector is a thriving industry dedicated to sustainability and renewable energy. Covering fields like clean technology, renewable energy production, waste management, and sustainable agriculture, it focuses on creating positive environmental outcomes, helping Canada reach its goals of reducing greenhouse emissions by 2030 and reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. The demand for green jobs could see an exponential growth as this emerging sector is expected to create up to 400,000 new jobs in Canada by the end of this decade alone.

Top 10 occupations in the Green sector

  1. Retail and wholesale trade managers (NOC 60020)
  2. Information systems specialists (NOC 21222)
  3. Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300) 
  4. Professional occupations in advertising, marketing and public relations (NOC 11202) 
  5. Home building and renovation managers (NOC 70011)
  6. Technical sales specialists and wholesale trade (NOC 62100) 
  7. Financial advisors (NOC 11102) 
  8. Construction trades helpers and labourers (NOC 75110) 
  9. Automative service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (NOC 72410)
  10. Shippers and receivers (NOC 14400)

 

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5. Manufacturing 

The manufacturing sector transforms materials or substances into usable products and extends from textiles, chemicals, and electronics. These products are sold in Canada or exported to other countries. The sector is recovering from the decline caused by the pandemic, with sales setting a new record in 2022. Machine operator, assembly inspector and industrial engineer are examples of in demand jobs in manufacturing.

 

Top 10 occupations in Manufacturing 

  1. Supervisors, other products manufacturing and assembly (NOC 92024) 
  2. Motor vehicle assemblers, inspectors and testers (NOC 94200) 
  3. Labourers in food and beverage processing (NOC 95106) 
  4. Welders and related machine operators (NOC 72106) 
  5. Other labourers in processing, manufacturing and utilities (NOC 95109) 
  6. Material handlers (NOC 75101) 
  7. Construction millwrights and industrial mechanics (NOC 72400)
  8. Machinists and machining and tooling inspectors (NOC 72100)
  9. Process control and machine operators, food and beverage processing (NOC 94140) 
  10. Shippers and receivers (NOC 14400)

 

6. Transportation

The transportation sector is key to Canada’s economy. Each of the four modes of transport (air, rail, marine, and road) contributes to connecting communities, taking people to their jobs, and delivering products to consumers. With more people returning to the workplace and the increase in online shopping, the demand for transportation services is growing. Work in transportation includes positions such as truck driver, mail worker and machinist. 

Top 10 occupations in Transportation 

  1. Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300)
  2. Bus drivers, subway operators and other transit operators (NOC 73301)
  3. Taxi and limousine drivers and chauffeurs (NOC 75200)
  4. Material handlers (NOC 75101)
  5. Delivery service drivers and door-to-door distributors (NOC 75201)
  6. Letter carriers (NOC 74101)
  7. Mail and parcel sorters and related occupations (NOC 74100)
  8. Managers in transportation (70020)
  9. Pursers and flight attendants (NOC 64311)
  10. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (NOC 72410)

 

7. Hospitality

The hospitality sector consists of businesses that provide products and services related to leisure activities in Canada. It is an important source of employment for young people and newcomers to Canada. With the end of travel restrictions and the return of in-person activities in post-pandemic times, jobs in hospitality are on the rise. Jobs in this field include events assistant, hotel manager, reservation agent and cook. 

Top 10 occupations in Hospitality 

  1. Food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations (NOC 65201) 
  2. Food and beverage servers (NOC 65200) 
  3. Cooks (NOC 63200) 
  4. Restaurant and food service managers (NOC 60030)
  5. Cashiers (NOC 65100) 
  6. Chefs (NOC 62200) 
  7. Light duty cleaners (NOC 65310) 
  8. Food service supervisors (NOC 62020) 
  9. Bartenders (NOC 64301)
  10. Maîtres d'hôtel and hosts/hostesses (NOC 64300) 

 

8. Agriculture

The agriculture sector is a major contributor to the Canadian economy, and an industry that continues to show strength. In 2022, the whole agriculture and agri-food sector provided 1 in 9 jobs in Canada. Those include crop and animal production for final consumption and the products manufactured by the food industry. Growing crops, raising animals, manufacturing fertilizers or processing beverages are all jobs linked to this sector. 

Top 10 occupations in Agriculture  

  1. Agricultural service contractors, farm supervisors and specialized livestock workers (NOC 82030)
  2. Fishermen/women (NOC 83121)
  3. Nursery and greenhouse labourers (NOC 85103)
  4. Transport truck drivers (NOC 73300)
  5. Livestock labourers (NOC 85100)
  6. Logging machinery operators (NOC 83110)
  7. Harvesting labourers (NOC 85101)
  8. Chain saw and skidder operators (NOC 84110)
  9. Fishing vessel deckhands (NOC 84121)
  10. Accounting technicians and bookkeepers (NOC 12200)

 

9. Retail

The retail industry consists of businesses that sell products and services to consumers. It is basically a bridge between production and consumption. Retail sales being on the rise, this industry offers many job opportunities. This sector offers careers such as salesperson, store manager and retail buyer. 

Top 10 occupations in Retail 

  1. Wholesale trade supervisors (NOC 64101)
  2. Retail sales supervisors (NOC 62010)
  3. Cashiers (NOC 65100)
  4. Store shelf stockers, clerks and order fillers (NOC 65102)
  5. Automotive service technicians, truck and bus mechanics and mechanical repairers (NOC 72410)
  6. Other customer and information services representatives (NOC 64409)
  7. Pharmacy technicians (NOC 32124)
  8. Material handlers (NOC 75101)
  9. Shippers and receivers (NOC 14400)
  10. Pharmacists (NOC 31120)

 

Top in-demand skills in trending sectors


1. Digital skills

The pandemic accelerated the pace of digitalization in the workplace, resulting in a critical need for more workers with advanced digital skills. Demand for advanced digital skills, in areas such as data analysis, cybersecurity, and Cloud technology, is robust and expected to continue growing. To adapt, innovate, and grow, Canadian businesses need workers who know how to leverage and apply their digital skills to solve problems and to inform business solutions.

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2. Communication skills

Communication is another top skill that is transferable from one industry to another. It’s needed to ensure information is well transmitted and correctly understood, whether verbally or in writing. Having good communication skills means having the ability to express ideas and concepts in a way that’s adapted to your audience. It also means to listen actively and to pay attention to others. Mastering communication skills makes productive discussions, effective negotiations, and ensures instructions are carried out successfully. It is a top asset in any field of work.

3. Interpersonal skills

One of the skills employers look for across industries is the ability to work well with others. It’s important to have good exchanges with other team members and to establish professional relationships built on trust and mutual respect. Having good interpersonal skills can make you good at teamwork, customer service or tasks involving caring for patients.

4. Time management and organization skills

Time management and organization skills are required in most fields of work but in some sectors, being able to effectively manage time and keep things well organized is an essential part of the work. In health care for example, a field focused on preventing and treating health issues and supporting people in all stages of life, many tasks are of a time sensitive nature. The agriculture sector relies on time management for tasks such as planning harvesting seasons to ensuring delivery of goods on time. In hospitality positions, being able to work under pressure and to multi-task is essential. Acquiring time management and organization skills can be done at any time throughout your career and is always an asset to have.

5. Analytical and critical thinking

Analytical thinking is needed in a variety of contexts, from assessing urgent situations that require an immediate intervention to processing data, evaluating symptoms, and analyzing information. For instance, being able to make quick decisions is part of a regular day of health care occupations. Strong critical thinking skills are needed to evaluate, identify problems and to make informed decisions. In most fields of work, making decisions based on changing factors is common. It requires the ability to understand, identify issues and find solutions.

 

Prepare for the right opportunity

To prepare for an opportunity in a high demand sector, you should assess your skills to gain a good understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. You may have perfected numerous skills, but still need to improve some. You should also learn more about the job market and identify the occupations and fields that suit your goals and interests.

Visit Job Bank’s career planning section to explore career options that match your skills and knowledge, find job search advice, and take career quizzes to help you make informed decisions about your professional life.

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