StatCan numbers reveal hot spots for pay gains in past year
Which areas of Canada have seen some of the biggest gains in pay? Statistics Canada’s latest payroll employment numbers reveal considerable variation by province and territory.
The most notable difference for average weekly earnings is from the east coast to the west coast: The Atlantic provinces have seen the biggest gains, ranging from 4.6% to 5.5% from September 2024 to September 2025.
But the western provinces of British Columbia and Alberta saw considerably lower increases of just 1.8% and 1.6%, respectively.
|
Region |
Average weekly salary |
Annual salary |
Annual increase |
|
Nova Scotia |
$1,185.76 |
$61,659 |
5.5% |
|
P.E.I. |
$1,146.03 |
$59,593 |
4.8% |
|
New Brunswick |
$1,205.60 |
$62,691 |
4.6% |
|
Yukon |
$1,510.97 |
$78,570 |
3.9% |
|
Saskatchewan |
$1,274.36 |
$66,266 |
3.8% |
|
Quebec |
$1,275.29 |
$66,315
|
3.7% |
|
Ontario |
$1,354.05 |
$70,410 |
3.2% |
|
Manitoba |
$1,187.95 |
$61,773 |
3.2% |
|
NL |
$1,288.42 |
$66,997 |
2.9% |
|
NWT |
$1,743.46 |
$90,659 |
2.6% |
|
B.C. |
$1,309.99 |
$68,119 |
1.8% |
|
Alberta |
$1,369.63 |
$71,220 |
1.6% |
|
Nunavut
|
$1,759.48 |
$91,492 |
0.5% |
Year over year, average weekly earnings were up 3.1% to $1,317 in September, following a 2.7% increase in August.
When asked about their reasons for raising wages, Canadian businesses cited the current rate of inflation (58.7%) and talent retention (49.1%) as the top factors, found a separate StatCan survey.
Additional reasons included inflation increases (31.1%), minimum wage legislation (25.4%), recruitment (25.2%), and a tight labour market (23.6%).
Average salary increases by sector
Statistics Canada also revealed the sectors and industries that have seen the biggest gains over the past year (September to September) when it comes to average weekly earnings (including overtime).
In looking at the top 10, not surprisingly, forestry, construction and mining have seen the biggest gains, ranging from 5.5% to 7.9%.
|
Sector |
Average weekly earnings |
Annual salary |
Annual increase |
|
Forestry, logging and support |
$1,493.39 |
$77,656 |
7.9% |
|
Construction |
$1,625.65 |
$84,553 |
7.2% |
|
Management of companies and enterprises |
$ 1,833.61 |
$95,347 |
5.5% |
|
Real estate rental and leasing |
1,331.35 |
$69,230 |
5.0% |
|
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction |
2,555.97 |
$132,910 |
4.7% |
|
Public administration |
1,712.00 |
$89,024 |
4.6% |
|
Transportation and warehousing |
1,376.75 |
$71,591 |
4.4% |
|
Professional, scientific and technical services |
1,894.09 |
$98,493 |
4.4% |
|
Utilities |
2,234.06 |
$116,171 |
4.4% |
|
Health care and social assistance |
1,175.10 |
$61,105 |
4.0% |
Some of the weaker sectors include:
- Arts, entertainment and recreation (down 3.9%)
- Wholesale trade (down 2.4%)
- Retail trade (down 0.9%)
Salaries for human resources professionals in 2026 will vary considerably depending on their role, according to a separate report.
Job vacancies increase for first time since early 2024
Overall, Canadian payroll employment declined in September even as job vacancies increased for the first time since early 2024, according to StatCan.
The number of employees receiving pay and benefits from their employer fell by 58,000, or 0.3%, in September, offsetting the cumulative increase of 43,200 (+0.2%) recorded in July and August.
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was little changed.
