Tech employment approaches 1.4 million workers, with 2023 job gains likely in all provinces
TORONTO – Nearly 300,000 technology jobs have been created in Canada over the past six years, with more employment growth projected in 2023, according to a report from CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the information technology (IT) industry and workforce.
Net tech employment reached an estimated 1,352,210 workers in 2022 and is projected to grow by 1.3% this year, to nearly 1.4 million workers, CompTIA’s “State of the Tech Workforce Canada” reveals. All provinces are projected to see an increase in tech employment this year, with nearly 60% of growth in the Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver metro areas.
“Employers that have resumed hiring activity are balancing immediate staffing needs in cybersecurity, cloud computing and tech support with longer-term plans in areas such as advanced data analytics and artificial intelligence,” said Gordon Pelosse, senior vice president, employer engagement, CompTIA.
Software engineers and designers, IT support and network technicians, database analysts and administrators, and computer and information system managers are the occupations in highest demand, CompTIA’s examination of employer job postings shows. Nearly one-fourth of job postings were for positions in emerging technologies. Slightly more than half of tech job postings in 2022 specified a required level of work experience, with the remaining 40% unspecified.
“Many employers continue to extend recruiting to include talent from alternative pathways, such as those with industry-recognized certifications, rather than traditional university degrees,” Pelosse noted.
The Toronto metropolitan area has the highest concentration of technology workers as a percentage of its overall workforce (10.3%), well above the national benchmark (6.6%). Vancouver (8.6%), Montreal (8.5%) and Calgary (6.9%) also are above the national rate.
The tech industry – nearly 55,000 business establishments – delivers a direct economic impact estimated at $113.4 billion CAD, approximately 5.5% of the overall Canadian economy, an increase from $104.6 billion CAD in the prior year. There are also downstream indirect benefits, such as the employment multiplier effect of technology ecosystems. The estimated median annual wage for a technology worker in Canada is $88,233 (CAD), which is 48% higher than the median national wage for all occupations.
