Canada’s tech boom: where jobs are growing and why it matters to you
Canada’s July Job Losses Hit an Eight‑Month Low
July saw a rise of 40,800 job cutbacks across Canada, dragging the employment rate down to its lowest point in eight months at 60.7 %. Unemployment, meanwhile, steadied around a multi‑year high of 6.9 %, according to the Reuters report.
Tech Talent Shifts Offer Optimistic Outlook
Despite the static unemployment figure, a more positive trend is emerging within the tech sector. CompTIA’s latest research projects a 1.4 % increase in tech workforce numbers for 2025, continuing a steady upward trajectory over the past five years.
- Gary Mofford, CompTIA’s Canadian Account Director: “The growth trend reflects how technology skills are now essential across the economy.”
- “Hiring intent reflects the critical importance of technology, tech workers and digitally fluent employees for organisations of all sizes, in all industries and in every locale,” he added.
What Leaders Should Take Away
The report serves as a strategic map for business leaders, highlighting where talent competition will be fiercest and uncovering hidden opportunities.
The fastest-growing jobs aren’t where you might think
Tech Talent Surge: Canada 2025 Forecast
Rapid Growth Ahead
According to the State of the Tech Workforce Canada 2025 report, tech roles are projected to expand 1.77 times faster than overall Canadian employment over the next decade.
- Software engineers and designers (+163%)
- Information systems managers (+153%)
- Cybersecurity specialists (+131%)
- Data scientists (+126%)
- Data analysts and administrators (+116%)
- Business systems specialists (+113%)
These percentages reflect how much faster each role is expected to grow compared to overall employment, not the total increase in jobs.
Implications for Employers
- Workforce planning must start now.
- High‑demand specialties will face sharper competition.
- Training pipelines need to keep pace with talent growth.
Employers should begin workforce strategy immediately to stay ahead of the evolving tech landscape.
Use the data to plan your next move
Strategic Workforce Planning for the Coming Decade
Leaders can use this framework to:
- Predict future hiring pressures and shift hiring approaches before bottlenecks arise.
- Pinpoint roles essential for digital transformation over the next ten years.
- Evaluate the benefits of recruiting in emerging secondary markets to diversify talent pipelines.
- Balance internal reskilling initiatives that build the capabilities your organization needs now and tomorrow.
View the data as a living map, not a static snapshot:
- Identify skill investment hotspots that future-proof your workforce.
- Locate talent reservoirs where high-performing candidates are emerging.
- Forecast competitor hiring trajectories so you stay a step ahead.
Toronto still leads, but other cities are gaining ground
Ontario Leads Canada with 17,837 New Tech Workers in 2024
Ontario added the largest net of tech jobs this year, estimating 17,837 new positions. Other provinces that also saw tech growth include
- Alberta
- Manitoba
- Nova Scotia
- Quebec
City‑Level Tech Talent Distribution
Toronto hosts the biggest tech workforce in Canada, with 414,667 tech employees—make up 10.7% of the city’s total workforce.
Other metropolitan hubs that also surpass the national average of 6.8% are
- Montreal
- Vancouver
- Calgary
Implications for Employers
Tech hubs provide deep pools of talent, but the cost to attract skilled professionals is high. For employers, smaller markets such as Manitoba and Nova Scotia may offer
- Recruitment opportunities
- Lower competition for talent
Pay is strong, but money alone won’t keep people
Canada’s tech sector: a high‑wage, high‑growth industry
Key figures
- 83,000+ business establishments across the country
- $131.6 billion CAD in direct economic value – roughly 5.8% of national GDP
- Median annual wage $97,197 CAD for a technology worker
- Wages are 48% higher than the national median for all occupations
Those wage differences highlight the financial upside of pursuing a tech career. For employers, the numbers point to why keeping top talent is more than just a salary. It demands offering career development, flexibility and work that genuinely matters.
Full report, with detailed regional breakdowns and job‑trend data, is available at CompTIA’s website.
Final shots
Emerging Tech Talent Demand
Immediate Action Required
Executives who delay decision‑making risk being sidelined as competition for essential positions escalates.
Compensation: A Baseline
While wage attractiveness remains a core factor, lasting employee commitment will revolve around career prospects and a supportive organizational ethos.
Secondary Talent Markets
- Offer renewed recruitment pathways amid an increasingly constrained national labor pool.
