Biggest Industries by Employment in Canada in 2025

• 1. Full-Service Restaurants in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 669,222

  Full-service restaurants in Canada thrived from the pandemic low, driven mainly by rising levels of consumer spending. However, the unwelcome high inflationary pressure following the pandemic has reduced customers' propensity to dine out as menu inflation surpassed food inflation. As a result, soaring operational costs and lower consumer interest in dining out have suppressed the industry's overall growth. Nonetheless, industry revenue has expanded an annualized 10.8% t...

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• 2. Hospitals in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 642,302

  Hospitals, serving as the primary providers of specialized and emergency medical services, are the most significant portion of health care spending in 2024, according to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI). Hospitals treat patients regardless of economic circumstances, but income growth and universal insurance coverage have made elective care more accessible to a broader population. While the pandemic's sudden impact left hospitals to face unprecedented challenges to finances...

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• 3. IT Consulting in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 481,459

  The rapid pace of technological change propelled the IT Consulting industry in Canada, with the prevalence of cloud-based services, mobile apps and other cutting-edge software fueling spending across the economy. The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) technology joins the long list of cutting-edge trends fueling need for IT consultants across various sectors. The Canadian government is simultaneously bolstering the industry with its large-scale investments, announcing a $2.0 billion inves...

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• 4. Supermarkets & Grocery Stores in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 434,951

  Supermarkets and grocery stores have endured a transformative journey since 2019, shaped by the pandemic, geopolitical tensions and an ever-changing market landscape. Grocers first encountered unprecedented demand as lockdowns redirected consumers' spending from entertainment to at-home essentials. Sales spiked, but the boom was fleeting; by 2021, factors like declining disposable income and soaring food prices reversed the trend. Even post-pandemic, the industry is evolving—more consumers th...

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• 5. Fast Food Restaurants in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 408,118

  Canadian fast food restaurants have seen significant growth over the past five years, largely attributed to increased consumer spending and innovative product offerings. However, this growth faced constraints due to high interna...

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• 6. Colleges & Universities in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 344,087

  Colleges and universities in Canada have seen significant shifts in funding sources in recent years. While federal and provincial government support continues to make up nearly half their revenue, the federal government upped its higher education spending by 22.4% from 2019 to 2024, especially benefiting universities' research and development initiatives. This federal support helped offset inconsistent provincial funding, ranging from lacklustre to solid between regions. Ontario, home to over...

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• 7. Pharmacies & Drug Stores in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 333,460

  Canadian pharmacies and drug stores have been experiencing moderate volatility. Drug stores have benefitted from growing health-related expenditures, with prescription medications remaining popular among consumers. Although increasing pharmaceutical prices have bolstered revenue, many provincial drug programs restricted prescription prices to cut healthcare costs, requiring generic drugs to be marked down by a percentage of the patented drug equivalent, which limits revenue growth and prevent...

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• 8. Commercial Banking in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 308,332

  The high interest rate environment experienced over the five years to 2025, along with overall economic growth, has benefitted the Commercial Banking industry in Canada. Banks have done an exceptional job diversifying revenue streams, due to higher interest rates and increasing regulations. The industry primarily generates revenue through interest income sources, such as business loans and mortgages, but it also generates income through noninterest sources, which include fees on a variety of ...

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• 9. Engineering Services in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 206,642

  The Canadian Engineering Services industry has navigated a tumultuous yet resilient period, facing challenges from fluctuating commodity prices and rapid technological competition. In recent years, engineering firms have heavily depended on the resource extraction industries, concentrated in Alberta, accounting for nearly a quarter of industry revenue. These sectors faced contractions in 2020 and 2023 when oil and commodity prices fell, postponing crucial projects and hindering revenue. Howev...

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• 10. Hotels & Motels in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 194,075

  Before the pandemic, hotels and motels benefited from rising incomes and population growth. However, hotel rooms were left empty when the pandemic shut down tourism, creating long-lasting financial and operational challenges. Long periods at home left consumers with savings and pent-up demand to spend on trips as travel restrictions lifted, leading to a rapid recovery at hotels between 2022 and 2023. Nonetheless, concerns about a recession and inflation partially stifled Canadian consumers' a...

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