The number of workers in Canada’s public sector has surged, driven by an increase in the federal civil service and growth at all levels of government. Meanwhile, Canada’s private-sector employment has suffered due to high interest rates and a decline in investment.
The private sector added only 141,300 jobs, which decreases to 122,300 when accounting for a drop in self-employment. Moreover, in the last six months, 90% of all new private sector jobs in the country were added in just one province: Alberta.
Statistics Canada’s latest job numbers highlight this divergence: Over the past year, Canada added 202,000 public sector employees, including those in public administration at all government levels, crown corporations, and other government institutions like schools and hospitals.
This trend has made Canada’s job market more reliant on the public sector than at any time since the early 1990s, excluding the early months of the pandemic.
