The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled that Mac’s Convenience Stores and three immigration consulting firms unlawfully exploited close to 880 migrant workers. Justice Sharon Matthews found that the defendants used false pretences to charge migrants up to $8,000 each for Canadian jobs that rarely existed. The retail chain brought workers to Canada to create a flexible staffing pool without any specific intention to employ them full-time. Many arrived to find no employment, w

British Columbia officially raised its general minimum wage from $17.85 to $18.25 per hour on June 1, 2026. This forty-cent increase reflects a 2.1 percent adjustment tied directly to the average inflation rate from the previous year. With this update, the province now holds the highest minimum wage among all Canadian provinces. Yukon and Nunavut still maintain higher minimum wage rates overall; they are territories rather than provinces. The new rate also applies to speciali

The number of payroll employees in Canada decreased by 60,200 in February 2026, marking a 0.3% decline that followed a modest gain in January. Despite the employment losses, average weekly earnings grew by 1.4% month-over-month to reach $1,338.24, representing a 3.4% increase compared to the previous year. Meanwhile, job vacancies remained relatively stable at 497,200, though they have decreased by 5.5% on a year-over-year basis. The unemployment-to-job vacancy ratio edged up

The Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association (CILA) has sent an open letter to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, highlighting systemic failures in the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) process. Representing over 540 lawyers, CILA argues that the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) has shifted toward a culture of refusal, where officers apply subjective criteria and unpublished benchmarks to deny applications. Key issues identi

Saskatchewan’s labour market showed significant strength in March 2026, recording the lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 5%, well below the national average of 6.7%. The province added 15,000 full-time jobs year over year and saw a monthly increase of 5,800 positions. Immigration and Career Training Minister Eric Schmalz highlighted the growth resulting from strategic industry partnerships designed to meet the demands of a growing economy. Major gains were reported in hea

Payroll employment in Canada rose by 45,600 in January 2026, up 0.2% from December after a small decline the month before, Statistics Canada reported . Year over year, payroll employment was also up 0.2%. Average weekly earnings, including overtime, reached $1,320.46, a 2.0% increase from January 2025. Job gains were concentrated in educational services, construction, finance and insurance, and health care and social assistance, while retail trade posted the largest drop. Job

On March 25, 2026, the Government of Ontario conducted new invitation draws in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the province targeted professionals living in Eastern Ontario, Northern Ontario, Southwestern Ontario, Central Ontario (excluding the GTA), and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The OINP issued 597 invit

New Brunswick will raise its minimum wage to $15.90 per hour starting April 1, marking a 25-cent increase from the current $15.65 rate. Labour Minister Alyson Townsend emphasized that maintaining a competitive minimum wage supports provincial productivity and economic growth across all wage levels. The adjustment reflects the province's 1.7 per cent consumer price index growth in 2025, with rates automatically indexed and rounded to the nearest five cents. Currently, just fi

On February 2, 2026, the Government of Ontario conducted the first invitation draws in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the province targeted physicians, professionals working in the health occupations, early childhood educators, assistants, and Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) candidates

Canada's labour market showed minimal employment change in December 2025, adding just 8,200 jobs while the employment rate remained at 60.9%. However, the unemployment rate increased by 0.3 percentage points to 6.8% as more Canadians entered the job search. Employment gains were concentrated among workers aged 55 and older, with a 33,000 increase, while youth employment declined by 27,000. The healthcare and social assistance sectors led job growth, adding 21,000 new positio

Three co-owners of Marina Dosa and Tandoori Grill in Calgary were sentenced to 90-day weekend jail terms this week after being convicted of defrauding temporary foreign workers from India. Manikandan Kasinathan, Chandramohan Marjak, and Mary Roche were found guilty of fraud over $5,000 for illegally collecting $44,000 from three immigrant employees under false pretenses. Justice Sandra Mah ordered the offenders to repay the stolen funds and serve 18 months probation. The wor

Canada added 21,200 payroll positions in October, a modest 0.1% gain that reversed September's decline , according to Statistics Canada. Healthcare led growth with 10,300 new jobs, while finance, public administration, and transportation also posted gains. However, job vacancies dropped to 467,000—the lowest level since 2017—falling 3.9% from the previous month. Average weekly earnings reached $1,312, up 2.2% year-over-year, though the job vacancy rate slipped to 2.6%. The un

Canada's job market saw vacancies fall by 14,000 positions in the third quarter of 2025, marking a 2.8% decrease to 492,500 openings. This decline follows similar drops earlier in the year and extends a downward trend that began after vacancies peaked at nearly 986,000 in mid-2022. Full-time and permanent positions bore the brunt of the reduction, while part-time and temporary roles remained relatively stable. Year-over-year figures show even steeper declines, with full-time

On December 11, 2025, the Government of Ontario conducted more invitation draws in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the province targeted candidates living in Eastern, Northern, and Southwestern Ontario. The OINP issued 305 invitations to apply (ITAs) under the EJO FW Stream, 373 ITAs under the EJO IS Stream, an

On December 10, 2025, the Government of Ontario conducted immigration draws in the Employer Job Offer: Foreign Worker Stream (EJO FW), International Student Stream (EJO IS), and In-Demand Skills Stream (EJO IDS) of the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP). In these draws, the province targeted healthcare professionals, early childhood educators & assistants, and candidates eligible for Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI). The OINP issued 427 invitat

Saskatchewan's labour market showed impressive strength in November, with Statistics Canada reporting 16,500 new jobs year over year, including 14,900 full-time and 1,600 part-time positions. The province maintains the second-lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 5.6%, significantly below the national average of 6.5%. Deputy Premier Jim Reiter highlighted Saskatchewan's robust economic performance, noting substantial gains in health care and social assistance, building and s

Alberta has once again proven its economic strength by creating 28,700 jobs in November 2025, accounting for more than half of all jobs added across Canada. This marks the third consecutive month of significant employment growth in the province. Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow highlighted that Alberta has added over 105,000 jobs since November 2024, demonstrating positive momentum that aligns with the province's rapid population expansion. Youth

Canada's labour market shifted in September, with payroll employment falling by 58,000, reversing gains made over the summer months. The decline affected 11 of 20 sectors, with educational services and manufacturing among the most brutally hit. However, a silver lining emerged: job vacancies climbed to 486,000—the first monthly increase in nearly 9 months. Despite this uptick, job vacancies remain down almost 10% compared to last year. Average weekly earnings continued their

Saskatchewan's labour market demonstrated remarkable strength in October, adding 14,000 jobs compared to the previous year—a 2.3% increase that ranks second-highest among Canadian provinces. The province's unemployment rate dropped to 5.5%, significantly lower than the national average of 6.9%, placing it as the second-lowest in the country. October saw record-breaking employment figures with 621,800 people working across Saskatchewan, including 514,500 in full-time position

Canada's employment landscape continued to strengthen in October 2025, adding 67,000 jobs and pushing the national employment rate to 60.8%. This marks the second straight month of growth , with the unemployment rate dropping to 6.9%. The gains were particularly pronounced among men aged 25 to 54 and younger workers aged 15 to 24. Wholesale and retail trade, transportation, and information sectors led the expansion, while Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador posted notable r