Job prospects Legal Researcher in Ontario
Job opportunities for Paralegal and related occupations (NOC 4211) are fair in Ontario over the next 3 years. These job prospects are also applicable to people working as a legal researcher.
Note: These employment prospects were published in December 2021 based on the information available at the time of analysis. The next update will be in December 2022. To learn more, see our FAQs. You can also find additional information on the Canadian Online Job Posting Dashboard.
Job opportunities in Ontario
The employment outlook will be fair for Paralegal and related occupations (NOC 4211) in Ontario for the 2021-2023 period.
The following factors contributed to this outlook:
- Employment is expected to remain relatively stable.
- Several positions will become available due to retirements.
- There are a small number of unemployed workers with recent experience in this occupation.
What Types of Employers Are Out There?
- Most work in legal services at offices of lawyers, notaries, and paralegals
- A smaller number work in public administration and finance, insurance, real estate and leasing
What are the Main Trends Affecting Employment?
- Steady demand for legal services overall may help support work in this occupation.
- Demand for more affordable legal services through paralegal offices though paralegals can only offer a certain scope of services.
- Consolidation and mergers of law firms and greater use of technology to streamline some job functions over the long term may temper job growth in this occupation.
What Skills Do I Need to Succeed?
- The Law Society of Ontario regulates and licenses paralegals in Ontario.
- A college diploma, graduate certificate, or bachelor’s degree in paralegal studies is required to become a licensed paralegal.
- Notaries public require a licence from the Government of Ontario.
- Trademark agents require registration with the federal Trade-Mark Office.
What Other Information Will I Find Helpful?
Some paralegals may choose to specialize in certain fields of law.
Here are some key facts about Paralegal and related occupations in the Ontario region:
- Approximately 18,000 people work in this occupation.
- Paralegal and related occupations mainly work in the following sectors:
- Legal services (NAICS 5411): 80%
- The distribution of full-time and part-time workers in this occupation is:
- Full-time workers: 89% compared to 79% for all occupations
- Part-time workers: 11% compared to 21% for all occupations
- 72% of paralegal and related occupations work all year, while 28% work only part of the year, compared to 63% and 37% respectively among all occupations. Those who worked only part of the year did so for an average of 31 weeks compared to 31 weeks for all occupations.
- 12% of paralegal and related occupations are self-employed compared to an average of 12% for all occupations.
Breakdown by region
Explore job prospects in Ontario by economic region.
| Location | Job prospects |
|---|---|
| Hamilton–Niagara Peninsula Region | Fair Fair |
| Kingston–Pembroke Region | Fair Fair |
| Kitchener–Waterloo–Barrie Region | Fair Fair |
| London Region | Fair Fair |
| Muskoka–Kawarthas Region | Fair Fair |
| Northeast Region | Fair Fair |
| Northwest Region | Fair Fair |
| Ottawa Region | Fair Fair |
| Stratford–Bruce Peninsula Region | Fair Fair |
| Toronto Region | Fair Fair |
| Windsor-Sarnia Region | Fair Fair |
Source Labour Market Information | Prospects Methodology
You can also look at this data on a map. Go to LMI Explore
Labour market conditions over the next 10 years
We expect that the labour supply and demand for Paralegal and related occupations (NOC 4211) will be balanced in Canada over the next 10 years.
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