Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62): Territories, 2025
Highlights
- The Healthcare and Social Assistance sector (NAICS 62) across Yukon, Northwest Territories (N.W.T.), and Nunavut generated an estimated $1.02 billion in economic output in 2024 (in chained 2017 dollars), accounting for approximately 8.8% of the combined territorial GDP of $11.6 billion. By territory, Yukon contributed an estimated $313 million, N.W.T. $413 million, and Nunavut $291 million to this total.
- Labour market representation in NAICS 62 rose moderately across the territories in 2024, with combined employment reaching approximately 9,100 workers, a 2.2% year-over-year increase, accounting for roughly 14.3% of the territorial workforce. Yukon reported approximately 3,700 workers, N.W.T. around 3,300, and Nunavut approximately 2,100 in the sector.
- Looking ahead, while employment opportunities are expected to expand, future labour market stability will depend on addressing structural challenges such as high turnover in remote communities and a nationwide shortage of healthcare workers combined with housing shortages for frontline workers in the territories.
About the Sector
Composition and importance of the sector
The Healthcare and Social Assistance sector is divided into: ambulatory health care services; hospitals; nursing and residential care facilities; individual and family services; community food and housing and emergency and other relief services; vocational rehabilitation services; and child day-care services. Employees within this sector provide health care diagnosis and treatment, residential care, and social assistance such as counselling, welfare, child protection, housing, and food services.
Healthcare and Social Assistance made up around 9% of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in Yukon and Northwest Territories (N.W.T.) in 2024, and 6% of GDP in Nunavut. These contributions were valued at approximately $1.02 billion when combined.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon | 236.5 | 238.3 | 245.1 | 248.5 | 256.5 | 257.8 | 262.5 | 275.9 | 285.1 | 297.6 | 312.6 |
| Northwest Territories | 326.3 | 340.5 | 352.2 | 358.3 | 363.2 | 367.6 | 370.3 | 371.2 | 395.2 | 409.2 | 413.2 |
| Nunavut | 171.6 | 179.1 | 186.6 | 192.9 | 196.3 | 197.7 | 250.6 | 268.0 | 274.2 | 284.7 | 291.4 |
* Chained (2017) dollars
Source: Statistics Canada, Gross Domestic Product by Industry - Provincial and Territorial (Annual)
Yukon
| Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62) | Others | |
|---|---|---|
| 9.30% | 90.70% |
Northwest Territories
| Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62) | Others | |
|---|---|---|
| 9.41% | 90.59% |
Nunavut
| Health Care and Social Assistance (NAICS 62) | Others | |
|---|---|---|
| 5.71% | 94.29% |
* Current dollars
Source: Statistics Canada, Gross Domestic Product by Industry - Provincial and Territorial (Annual)
The sector provided 14% of jobs in the territories in 2024, most of which were publicly funded, and based in or near government facilities. Statistics Canada estimates that 73% of territorial jobs in the sector are in health care and 37% in social assistance.
The gender distribution across the sector reveals a majority-female workforce, with women comprising 76% of employees in health care and social assistance in the combined territories. In Yukon, 81% of the sectoral workforce is female, in N.W.T., 70%, and in Nunavut 76%.
Fiscal commitments to the sector are substantial: in 2024–25, territorial governments allocated $604 million in Yukon, $644 million in N.W.T., and $520 million in Nunavut (health care only).
Geographical distribution of employment
In 2024, Yukon reported approximately 3,700 health care and social assistance workers, N.W.T. around 3,300, and Nunavut approximately 2,100. These workers perform their duties in urban and rural settings across the territories.
Workforce
In 2024, total employment in the territorial healthcare and social assistance sector reached 9,100 workers, up from 8,900 in 2023, marking an annual increase of 2.2%.
| 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yukon | 2.7 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 3.7 |
| Northwest Territories | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.4 | 2.6 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.3 | 2.1 | 2.8 | 3.0 | 3.3 |
| Nunavut | 1.2 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.1 |
Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, ESDC custom table
The sector's workforce is predominantly composed of five major National Occupational Classification (NOC) groups: Registered Nurses (NOC 31301), Licensed Practical Nurses (NOC 32101), Physicians (NOC 31101/31102), Medical Administrative Assistants (NOC 13110), and Social and Community Service Workers (NOC 42201).
Across all three territories, elevated wages serve as a primary mechanism to attract talent into challenging environments with high operating costs and limited infrastructure. Despite these financial incentives, labour shortages persist across most NOC categories in healthcare and social assistance. For example, the high turnover of short-term staff in health care and social assistance in Nunavut contributes to fragmented service delivery. In N.W.T., the Health and Social Services Authority reported that 163 employees left in the 2023-2024 fiscal year, not including physicians.
Nunavut and the N.W.T. rely more heavily on out-of-territory training, while Yukon has had greater success in anchoring health education locally.
In Budget 2023, the federal government announced $350 million over ten years for the Territorial Health Investment Fund to support the higher cost of delivering health care in the territories. Nevertheless, workforce stabilization remains limited by chronic recruitment and retention deficits. Any effort to stabilize the sector must extend beyond wage incentives and address education infrastructure, workplace conditions, and career mobility for Northern health workers.
Occupations of Interest
The healthcare and social assistance sector (NAICS 62) in Canada’s northern Territories — Yukon, N.W.T., and Nunavut — exhibits territorially specific workforce patterns across its top occupational categories. For example, there were 1,200 nursing and allied health professionals across the three territories in 2024: 400 in Yukon, 600 in N.W.T., and 200 in Nunavut. Nursing and allied health professionals is an occupational grouping that includes nursing coordinators and supervisors, registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, midwives and allied health professionals. Further disaggregated estimates are available for 2023 for registered nurses. There were 623 registered nurses in Yukon and 1,286 jointly in N.W.T. and Nunavut in 2023.
Wages in the healthcare sector vary across each territory. In Yukon, registered nurses earned between $41.15 and $56.16 per hour in 2024. In N.W.T., registered nurses earned between $45 and $66.67 per hour. In Nunavut, registered nurses earned between $34.75 and $83.04 per hour — the highest high wage for this occupation in Canada.
Recent History
Between 2019 and 2024, NAICS 62 in Canada’s Northern territories underwent a period of accelerated transformation marked by labour force restructuring, technological integration, and persistent systemic shortages. Employment in healthcare and social assistance grew at an average annual rate of 2.5% across the three territories from 2019 to 2023, with notable volatility during the COVID-19 pandemic and an uneven recovery thereafter. Yukon saw the most stable growth, while Nunavut exhibited sharper fluctuations due to its higher reliance on rotational workers and contract-based staffing.
In N.W.T., the post-2019 period was shaped by intensified labour shortages, with vacancy rates in NAICS 62 peaking at 14.7% in Q1 of 2023. This shortage catalyzed the growth of mid-skill roles such as Nurse Aides (NOC 33102) and Patient Service Associates (NOC 33103). These roles became essential in offsetting gaps in professional-level staffing, particularly in long-term and residential care facilities.
Across all three territories, particularly in Yukon and Nunavut, the integration of digital technologies such as telehealth platforms, EMRs, and AI-assisted diagnostics became a significant driver of occupational demand. Roles in digital healthcare — particularly Clinical Informatics Specialists (NOC 21211) and Healthcare Data Analysts (NOC 21223) — gained prominence post-2021, in part due to pandemic-induced delivery constraints. Federal infrastructure funding under the Pan-Canadian Health Data Strategy also supported regional data integration initiatives in the territories.
Labour shortages remain a persistent constraint, particularly in Nunavut and the Northwest Territories. The Q1 2025 Job Vacancy and Wage Survey reported that 3.2% of health care and social assistance jobs were unfilled in Yukon, 6.3% in N.W.T., and 6.3% in Nunavut.
According to Statistics Canada, healthcare and social assistance contributed approximately 6% of GDP in Nunavut, 9% in N.W.T., and 9% in Yukon in 2024.
Looking forward, the territorial governments’ budget plans for 2025–2026 reflect a reallocation toward frontline capacity and digital transformation. Yukon proposes increasing health funding by 28.9%, an increase that will support telehealth services and cover rising costs in hospital services and physician care. N.W.T.’s 2025–26 budget will provide an addition $71.5 million towards health care and social assistance accessibility, and $5.6 million for 26 full-time equivalent front line health care positions, including physicians and nurses. Nunavut allocated an additional $28.2 million for front-line health support in 2025-2026 and continues to emphasize Indigenous workforce development, cultural care training, and expanded permanent placements in decentralized communities.
Employment Outlook
NAICS 62 in the Northern Territories is projected to experience moderate growth through 2027. Employment in the health care sector is forecast to expand by 1.4% between 2025 and 2027 in N.W.T., adding approximately 47 new jobs. In Yukon, health care employment is expected to grow by 6% (approx. 250 jobs) over this period, and in Nunavut by 4% (approx. 94 jobs). Similar estimates are not available for the social assistance subsector.
Labour market imbalances remain, particularly in remote communities where staffing costs and turnover are disproportionately high. Despite strong digital infrastructure investment, remote coverage gaps are evident in care continuity, particularly outside major centers like Yellowknife, Whitehorse, and Iqaluit. Future labour market stability will depend on addressing high turnover in remote communities, housing shortages for frontline workers, high healthcare delivery costs, and the need for culturally appropriate services.
In preparing this document, the authors have taken care to provide clients with labour market information that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic, some of the information presented here may have changed since this document was published. Users are encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market. Information contained in this document does not necessarily reflect official policies of Employment and Social Development Canada.
Portions of this sector profile were prepared with support from artificial intelligence (AI) tools, in accordance with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) guidelines. All AI-assisted content has been reviewed for accuracy and compliance with ESDC standards.
Prepared by: Labour Market Information Directorate, Service Canada - Western Canada and Territories (W-T) Region
For further information, please contact the Labour Market Information Directorate here.
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