Durham’s Labour Market in Q2 2025 – Growth, Shifts, and Signals
Durham Region’s labour market remained active and resilient in the second quarter of 2025. The latest Labour Market Insights Report from the Durham Workforce Authority shows a strong hiring climate—with 12,660 active job postings and 3,778 unique employers recruiting, both significant increases from the previous quarter.
While employers posted more jobs, they also moved faster. The average job posting stayed online for just 15.5 days, down from 19.5 in Q1. This shorter posting duration suggests growing urgency among employers to fill positions.
The top hiring sectors remained familiar: health care and social assistance led the way with 2,168 postings, followed by retail trade (1,715) and administrative and support services (998). However, there were notable changes beneath the surface. For example, retail experienced a steep drop in postings—over 30% lower than the previous quarter—while agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting saw the highest sectoral growth.
Occupational trends also shifted. Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses moved into the top spot with 1,256 postings, more than double the Q1 figure. Meanwhile, retail salespersons and merchandisers, who led last quarter, saw a decline in demand. This rebalancing points to continued strain in care-related sectors and softening retail demand.
Wage transparency continues to improve, with the average posted hourly wage rising to $27.73. However, while there are more job openings, most are still concentrated in entry-level or lower-paying roles, especially in service sectors.
Taken together, these trends suggest a labour market that’s growing and adapting—facing pressure in critical areas like health care and personal support, while shifting away from some traditional retail roles. As the local economy evolves, these insights can help educators, employers, and job seekers align their decisions with what’s really happening on the ground.