Labour Force Survey Snapshot: March 2026

Accommodations Industry Gains Against an Overall Sector Decline. The tourism sector[1] in March 2026 saw declines in both labour force and employment from the previous month[2]. Both indices were, however, up on last year, and also on 2019 as a…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: February 2026

Accommodations Sees Losses Against Sector Growth. The tourism sector[1] in February 2026 saw slight gains over the previous month[2], with labour force growth outpacing employment, pulling the unemployment rate up slightly. Across the broader national economy, labour force edged up…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: January 2026

Tourism Contracts in Parallel with Broader Economy. The tourism sector[1] in January 2026 contracted slightly from December[2], with both labour force (-0.5%) and employment (-1.6%) seeing decreases. However, these losses were broadly in line with patterns seen across the broader…

Counting Tourism Jobs: A Tale of Two Numbers

One of the challenges our tourism sector faces is inconsistency. With industry associations, DMOs, and economic development teams each focused on their specific needs—to say nothing of differences between municipal, regional, provincial/territorial, and national frames of reference—it’s very easy to…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: December 2025

Pre-Holiday Travel Lull Leads to Slight Drop in Employment. While December often marks a time of travel for many Canadians, the pre-holiday period—which the December Labour Force Survey targeted—remains a bit of a lull, with many businesses not yet ramping…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: November 2025

Tourism Stays the Course Through Autumn Lull. November is often a slow period in tourism, with the weather turning colder but not cold enough or snowy enough to support winter activities. The Canadian economy is still adjusting to new political…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: October 2025

Tourism holds steady from September. The tourism sector[1] in October 2025 saw little change over the previous month in terms of labour force or employment[2]. Both indices grew by less than one percent, on par with changes seen across the…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: September 2025

Early autumn sees tourism workforce contract, but hold its own. September always sees a contraction of the tourism workforce: with the summer surge in demand definitively over and many students leaving the workforce to return to their studies, both labour…

Labour Force Survey Snapshot: August 2025

August is typically a busy month for tourism: it’s the end of summer, and many families take the opportunity for one last break before school and work return to normal in September. This year, of course, the season has been…

Canadian Tourism Labour Market Snapshot: July 2025

Tourism Employment Stays Strong. The tourism sector[1] in July 2025 grew by around 3% from where it stood last month[2], and was generally in a stronger position than last year. Given the strong economic headwinds facing the economy, and the…

Canadian Tourism Labour Market Snapshot: June 2025

Momentum Continues to Build in Tourism Employment. In spite of economic headwinds in the face of trade uncertainty, domestic tourism demand stayed strong into June, allowing the tourism labour market to maintain its momentum from May. Both labour force and…

Canadian Tourism Labour Market Snapshot: May 2025

Summer Employment Growth Led by Recreation and Entertainment, Accommodations In spite of ongoing economic tensions between Canada and its largest trading partner, the Canadian tourism sector[1] in May 2025 saw promising growth over the previous month[2]. Although tourism is less…