In the past three years, Ontario created more jobs than in any other comparable period in the last quarter century and attracted the biggest share of economic immigrants of any province in Canada.
“Ontario continued to experience above average employment growth in 2023, adding 183,200 net new jobs, a 2.4 per cent increase,” noted the provincial government in its 2024 Budget.
“This followed record gains of 5.2 per cent in 2021 and 4.6 per cent in 2022. Job creation over the three-year period since 2021 is the highest on record.”
The central Canadian province was the destination of choice for almost a third of a million economic immigrants during those years, 314,635 new permanent residents, data from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) reveals.
Economic and business programs attracted 118,805 new permanent residents to Ontario in 2021, another 93,350 in 2022 and 102,480 last year.
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The province welcomes significant newcomers from the following programs:
- Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program
- Federal Skilled Worker
- Canadian Experience Class
- Federal Skilled Trades
- Temporary Resident to Permanent Resident Pathway
- Agri-Food Immigration Pilot
- Caregiver
- Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot
- Start-Up Visa
- Self-Employed Persons
Through its Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) is trying to make it easier for employers to attract foreign nationals to fill vacant positions. Late last year, the province introduced legislation to ban the use of Canadian work experience as a requirement in job postings or application forms.
Here are the Top 10 Most In-Demand Jobs In Ontario.
1. Registered Nurses (NOC 31301)
Ontario is, like all the provinces, facing a shortage of nurses as evidenced by the 3,934 job ads for nurses in that province on Indeed.ca, a job-hunting website, in early May.
Despite universities graduating nurses every year, this labour shortage is actually getting worse across the country.
“For registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 155,400 , while 143,700 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” reports Job Bank, a job-hunting and career-planning website operated by the federal government.
These are the medical professionals who provide direct nursing care to patients, deliver health education programs and provide consultative services regarding issues relevant to the practice of nursing.
This occupation comes with a median annual wage of $89,700 in Ontario based on a 37.5-hour work week, according to Job Bank data.
2. Accountants (NOC 11100)
Accountants plan, organize and administer the accounting systems that keep track of that money for businesses, individuals and governments.
In early May, Indeed had 2,353 job listings for accountants in Ontario where the median annual income for these professionals was $76,050 based on Job Bank data for a standard, 37.5-hour work week.
Demand for these financial professionals is growing in Canada.
“For financial auditors and accountants, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 88,000, while 79,800 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” notes Job Bank.
3. Administrative Assistants (NOC 13110)
With 3,012 jobs for administrative assistants available in Ontario on the Indeed website in May and projected labour shortage growth of 11,000 of these office workers across Canada over the coming seven years, there is a lot of opportunity in this field.
“For administrative assistants, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 68,200, while 57,200 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” forecasts Job Bank.
Administrative assistants in Ontario earn a median annual income of $48,750 based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week.
4. Welders and Machine Operators (NOC 72106)
Ontario, like much of Canada, is facing a dearth of tradespeople, including welders.
“The Canadian welding industry is experiencing a shortage of welding professionals in several provinces and sectors due in significant part to an aging Canadian population, a lack of young people being attracted to the skilled trades and the reduced focus on skilled trades training in secondary and post-secondary institutions,” reports the CWB Group.
“If this shortage is not quickly addressed, it may inevitably lead to a crisis in the industry and its ability to be globally competitive in the future.”
Welders, who assemble metal components, guarantee the quality of structures, and collaborate with engineering teams on complex global projects, earn a media annual wage of $50,407 based on a 37.5-hour work week in Ontario, Job Bank data reveals.
In early May, there were 806 jobs for welders advertised on the Indeed job-hunting website for Ontario.
“Demand is growing for occupations in manual industries, such as electricians and welders,” notes Randstad Canada.
5. Cooks (NOC 63200)
Cooks are among the most in-demand workers in Ontario with 4,341 job ads for them on the Indeed website in early May.
With a median annual income of $32,272 for a cook in Ontario, it’s not the highest-paying work but there are jobs in the hospitality sector everywhere throughout the province.
6. Software Developers (NOC 21232)
As the people who write, modify, integrate and test computer code for software applications, data processing applications, operating systems-level software and communications software, software developers are in hot demand.
“It’s no surprise that software developers are included in this list!” notes Randstad Canada.
“They are involved in designing, coding, and testing solutions. Their role is to understand the multiple needs of users. This technical approach is fundamental to creating reliable software that meets the diverse requirements of users, making software developers essential players in developing innovative technological solutions.”
In Ontario, software developers earn a median annual wage of $85,722 based on a standard, 37.5-hour work week, Job Bank data reveals. The Indeed job website had 3,467 such job listings in Ontario in early May.
7. Physician (NOC 31102)
Labour shortages in the healthcare sector in Ontario mean there’s also a huge demand for physicians, with Indeed showing 434 such positions in early May.
Job Bank is forecasting that labour shortage to be further exacerbated by 19,500 positions across Canada by the year 2031.
“For general practitioners and family physicians, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 48,900 , while 29,400 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” reports Job Bank.
In Ontario, a family physician earns a median annual income of $251,496.
8. Electricians (NOC 72200)
Electricians, the tradespeople who lay out, assemble, install, test, troubleshoot and repair electrical wiring, fixtures, control devices and related equipment in buildings and other structures, are in big demand in Ontario.
Indeed listed 891 jobs for electricians in Ontario in early May with jobs paying a median annual wage of $66,300 based on a standard work week, according to Job Bank data.
And this labour shortage is expected to only grow over the coming seven years.
“For electricians (except industrial and power system), over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 45,600 , while 37,200 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” forecasts Job Bank.
9. Carpenter (NOC 72310)
The people who construct, erect, install, maintain and repair structures and components of structures made of wood, wood substitutes, lightweight steel and other materials are in hot demand by construction companies in Ontario.
In early May, Indeed listed 1,253 jobs for carpenters, jobs that pay a median annual income of $58,500 based on a 37.5-hour work week, in Ontario.
Demand for carpenters is growing across Canada.
“For carpenters, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 37,900 , while 32,800 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” notes Job Bank.
10. Business Managers – Sales And Advertising (NOC 10022)
Business managers in sales, advertising and marketing are in great demand in Ontario as companies attempt to innovate and deploy campaigns to drive up sales.
There were 2,828 job openings listed on Indeed for business managers in Ontario in early May with that demand only expected to grow over the next seven years.
“For advertising, marketing and public relations managers and other business services managers, over the period 2022-2031, new job openings (arising from expansion demand and replacement demand) are expected to total 23,200 , while 21,800 new job seekers (arising from school leavers, immigration and mobility) are expected to be available to fill them,” notes Job Bank.
The median annual income for these managers in Ontario is $105,007 based on a 37.5-hour work week, data from Job Bank reveals.
