Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey shows Canada’s labour market remains cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty, with national employment largely unchanged in April. But beneath the surface, small businesses are telling a more nuanced story.
New data from Employment Hero shows SMB wages rose 4.2% year-over-year in April, continuing to outpace inflation (2.4%) even as overall SMB employment declined -0.9% nationally.
The findings come from Employment Hero’s newly launched first-party data engine, a monthly snapshot of labour market activity across nearly 3,000 Canadian SMBs, designed to complement broader labour reporting with a real-time view of how smaller businesses are responding to changing economic conditions.
While hiring remains soft overall, consumer-facing industries are proving more resilient ahead of the busy summer season.
Employment across retail, hospitality and tourism rose 3.8% year-over-year, while wages in the sector climbed 10.6%, the strongest wage growth recorded across all industries.
With patios reopening, festivals approaching, and Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasting one of the hottest years on record globally, Employment Hero says many businesses tied to seasonal demand are continuing to hire despite broader economic caution.
Employment Hero’s data also suggests businesses are increasingly favouring flexibility, with casual employment rising 12.7% year-over-year, pointing to a growing reliance on more adaptable staffing models.
Regional snapshot: where SMBs are still hiring
While national hiring remains soft, several regions continue to outperform YoY:
- Saskatchewan: Employment up 5.7% , wages up 5.7% (also saw recent MoM growth)
- Alberta: Employment up 2.0%, wages up 5.4% (also saw recent MoM growth)
- Nova Scotia: Employment up 4.7%
- New Brunswick: Employment up 2.5%
- Quebec: Employment up 3.8%
- Ontario: Employment down –1.8%, though wages still rose 3.3%
- British Columbia: Employment down 4.4%, while Vancouver wages climbed 5.5%
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This entry was posted on May 12, 2026 at 10:58 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Employment Hero. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
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New data from Employment Hero shows Canadian SMB Wages Continue to Outpace Inflation
Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey shows Canada’s labour market remains cautious amid ongoing economic uncertainty, with national employment largely unchanged in April. But beneath the surface, small businesses are telling a more nuanced story.
New data from Employment Hero shows SMB wages rose 4.2% year-over-year in April, continuing to outpace inflation (2.4%) even as overall SMB employment declined -0.9% nationally.
The findings come from Employment Hero’s newly launched first-party data engine, a monthly snapshot of labour market activity across nearly 3,000 Canadian SMBs, designed to complement broader labour reporting with a real-time view of how smaller businesses are responding to changing economic conditions.
While hiring remains soft overall, consumer-facing industries are proving more resilient ahead of the busy summer season.
Employment across retail, hospitality and tourism rose 3.8% year-over-year, while wages in the sector climbed 10.6%, the strongest wage growth recorded across all industries.
With patios reopening, festivals approaching, and Environment and Climate Change Canada forecasting one of the hottest years on record globally, Employment Hero says many businesses tied to seasonal demand are continuing to hire despite broader economic caution.
Employment Hero’s data also suggests businesses are increasingly favouring flexibility, with casual employment rising 12.7% year-over-year, pointing to a growing reliance on more adaptable staffing models.
Regional snapshot: where SMBs are still hiring
While national hiring remains soft, several regions continue to outperform YoY:
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This entry was posted on May 12, 2026 at 10:58 am and is filed under Commentary with tags Employment Hero. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.