Biggest Industries by Employment in Canada in 2025

• 1. Hospitals in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 694,356

  Hospitals play a critical role in healthcare delivery across Canada, serving as the primary providers of specialized and emergency medical services. These facilities treat patients regardless of economic circumstances, but income growth coupled with universal insurance coverage has made elective care more accessible to a wider population. Years of steady growth were interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as the pandemic’s sudden impact left hospitals grappling with unprecedented challenges to ...

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• 2. 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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• 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: 347,762

  The primary funding sources for colleges and universities in Canada have significantly shifted over the past five years. Provincial government funds historically made up the most significant revenue stream for universities, but lacklustre growth in per-student funding has pushed universities in most provinces to rely more on higher tuition fees. The recent influx of international students has proven lucrative for postsecondary institutions, but a temporary cap on international study permits h...

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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. 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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• 10. Day Care in Canada

  Employment number for 2025: 192,530

  Day care centres in Canada have been experiencing significant shifts as more and more working parents have relied on these services to care for their children. Dual-income families are the status quo in Canada. At the same time, a higher labour force participation rate for women (which day care supports) strengthens the role of child day care in helping families and nationwide economic growth. Record levels of federal investment have entered the industry: the Canadian government sought to sup...

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