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Youth Unemployment Statistics

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Youth employment is an essential issue for Canadians. Youth unemployment in Canada is increasing: Young people in Canada are finding it more difficult to find jobs (summer and post-graduate) amid rising competition and a softening labour market.

On average, according to Statistics Canada, youth unemployment nationally tends to be twice the adult unemployment rate (in August, the overall unemployment rate was 9.4%). In other words, if the unemployment rate for a jurisdiction is five percent, the youth unemployment rate should be somewhere between 10 and 12.5 percent.

In addition, unemployment rates can be challenging because Statistics Canada does not make this data available by city.  Unemployment rates are available monthly for the census metropolitan area.  For Durham, the Oshawa Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) comprises Whitby, Oshawa, and Clarington. Ajax, Pickering, and Uxbridge are part of the Toronto Census Metropolitan Area, which includes the York and Peel regions. Brock and Scugog are statistically too small to be included in Statistics Canada’s monthly surveys. While the Oshawa CMA is used as a proxy for Durham Region, access to CMA-level labour force data, available only in Census years, impacts community planning.

Youth unemployment averaged 18 percent from 2015 until 2025.  This aligns with youth unemployment rates from 2010 to 2015. Recently, much discussion has ensued as various community-serving organizations, Employment Ontario service providers, municipal government, federal and provincial ministries, and educational institutions attempt to determine the primary reason(s) for sustained youth unemployment and strive for solutions

Table: 14-10-0458-01

Unemployment is Different by Gender

Unemployment is higher among young men. Unemployment patterns vary across gender and age groups, there are several factors. These include racialized gaps in educational completion, uneven skills development opportunities, and a fragmented institutional support system.  Racialized youth unemployment for both sexes is significantly higher, depending on the racialized group.  For instance, the South Asian male unemployment rate is 40 percent, and the unemployment rates for Arab and Black women are 28 and 26 percent.

As Ontario and the Durham Region struggle through a shallow recession caused by ongoing economic instability resulting from tariffs, companies are sharply reducing their hiring of entry-level workers. As a result, students and new graduates are grappling to find work.  Delayed unemployment impacts productivity, economic prosperity and can lead to so-called labour market scarring as youth struggle to obtain a foothold in the labour market.

Humble Suggestions to Support Youth

  • Employer Engagement by Sector to understand job vacancies and engage Employment Services to support labour market attachment
  • Encourage youth to leverage Jobs First Durham’s free resources
  • Business Education Workshops, Industry Roundtables,
  • Create recovery jobs inventory
  • Create a Durham Needs You.ca website to promote occupations in demand in the region

About the DWA:

The DWA creates an annual plan supplying helpful information for community planning. Next month, the DWA will release its annual Labour Market Plan (LMP).

The plan focuses on the following:

  • Durham Region demographics change, migration trends in and out, educational attainment of residents, and changes in employers in the local area by employee size and 3-digit NAICs.
  • Enhanced Jobs First Durham (JFD) data extracted from the DWA’s boutique job board with hyper-local information.
  • An update on Employment Ontario data.

The DWA provides just-in-time custom labour market information and often conducts custom fee-for-service research. If you are interested in local data, please don’t hesitate to contact the DWA.

The Province of Ontario partially funds the DWA to supply Labour Market Information (LMI) to the Region of Durham.

 

Durham’s Labour Market: Key Insights from August 2025

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The Jobs First Durham Job Demand and Job Search reports for August show a complex picture of steady employer demand alongside active but selective job seeker engagement in Durham. These reports highlight where opportunities are emerging, where challenges persist, and what this means for both job seekers and employers.

Employer Demand Remains Strong

In August, employers across Durham posted 5,531 active job ads, which is a 4% increase from July, including 3,724 new postings. More than 2,200 companies were hiring, a 5% increase from July, and the majority of positions (77%) were full-time, permanent roles. 

High-demand roles include:

  • Food counter attendants and kitchen helpers

  • Home support workers and caregivers

  • Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses

At the same time, some traditional occupations, such as retail salespersons, customer service representatives, and elementary school teachers, while remaining strong, did see a decline in postings.

Job Seeker Activity: Targeted but Concentrated

The Job Search Report shows 12,179 interactions with online tools in August, including 6,189 clicks on job postings, a 13% drop from July. Top occupations job seekers clicked on include:

  • Retail salespersons

  • Material handlers

  • Home support workers and caregivers

  • Food counter attendants

  • Construction labourers

This suggests that while employer demand is strong in healthcare, food services, and building maintenance, many job seekers continue to focus on retail and entry-level service roles, where postings are actually declining.

Wage and Skills Trends

The average posted wage in August was $27.86/hour, down 2% from July, with a median of $23.13/hour. Some roles, such as motor vehicle assemblers and psychologists, saw significant wage growth, while others, like teachers and lab technologists, experienced wage declines.

Employers continue to emphasize soft skills, such as communication, customer service, and teamwork, alongside practical requirements like first aid training, proficiency in Microsoft Office, and criminal record checks.

What This Means for Job Seekers

  • Opportunities exist across industries, particularly in healthcare, food services, and skilled trades. Job seekers who can pivot toward these areas may find more stable and better-paying roles.

  • Transferable skills, such as communication, customer service, and problem-solving, are in high demand and can help job seekers transition into growing fields.

  • Awareness of wages is important. Some declining occupations are offering relatively high pay, but these roles may be more challenging to secure as fewer postings become available.

What This Means for Employers

  • Hiring competition remains high, with thousands of postings online. Employers need to stand out through clear job ads, competitive wages, and advertised benefits.

  • Recruitment challenges in growing sectors, such as healthcare, caregiving, and skilled trades, continue to face shortages, suggesting that employers may need to broaden their candidate pipelines and invest in training.

  • Disconnect with job seeker interest, as many candidates are still looking at retail and general labour roles, despite a decline in postings in those areas. Employers in growth sectors may need to do more outreach to attract and reskill these job seekers.

Final Takeaway

Durham Region’s August 2025 labour market highlights a dual challenge, as employers are eager to fill roles in growing sectors such as healthcare, caregiving, and building maintenance, while many job seekers are still drawn to retail and entry-level positions with shrinking demand. Bridging this gap through improved career awareness, training pathways, and targeted employer outreach will be key to maintaining Durham’s labour market balance and resilience.

Canada Summer Jobs at Work: How Students Grew with the DWA

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The DWA was fortunate to receive Canada Summer Jobs funding for two summer students in 2025.  This program enables organizations to offer summer employment to young Canadians, allowing them to develop their skills through real-world work experience.  Below, these students share their experiences of working at the DWA this summer.

Marketing Research – Zarish F

From May to August, I had the opportunity to intern with the Durham Workforce Authority as a Marketing Researcher, and it was such a rewarding experience.

During my time there, I got to work on a variety of projects that allowed me to grow both creatively and professionally. I was heavily involved in content creation using Canva, which gave me the chance to experiment with different styles and sharpen my design skills. I also contributed to developing the survey marketing plan and supported the logo/rebrand launch both of which were an exciting project to be a part of. Seeing how ideas evolve into real strategies was incredibly valuable.

One of the things I appreciated most was the flexible, stay-at-home work style. The DWA team, Eric and Heather, were not only accommodating to my needs but also genuinely supportive of my learning journey. They encouraged me to share my ideas, gave me exposure to new areas of marketing research and always created space for growth. I truly felt heard and respected, which made the experience even more meaningful.

Looking back, I am grateful for the trust, flexibility and mentorship I received. I will definitely miss my time at DWA and will carry the lessons and experiences with me as I move forward.

Database Administrator – Bilal S

For the past four months, I have been working as a database administrator for the Durham Workforce Authority. During this internship I learned many things and benefited in various different ways that will contribute to my future success in my career path.

As a post-secondary student studying in a computer science-related field, this position has helped me learn a lot about writing code in a work environment. I’ve learned that thorough testing is required and that consistent communication is key. This is because it is very important that my manager is always up to date on my progress on a weekly basis.

Furthermore, I’ve been able to greatly strengthen my self-regulation and time management skills throughout my experience at this job, as it is a very different kind of experience from schoolwork. I believe these things will help contribute to my future career success because the specific ways in which I learned these lessons are going to be much more beneficial to me in future work environments.

Moreover, I was also able to strengthen my technical skills with my work this summer in a way that will be appealing to future employers. This is because I was able to get a lot more experience coding with Python and scripting tests, which are both tasks that come up very often in the software engineering field. So, on top of the soft skills I strengthened, I was also able to gain more technical skills through this work experience.

Overall, my summer internship with the Durham Workforce Authority has left me with a lot of lessons learned, and it is because of these lessons that I feel a lot more optimistic about my future career prospects. 

Temporary Foreign Workers and Durham’s Labour Market: What the Data Shows

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Temporary Foreign Workers and the Local Labour Market

Temporary foreign workers have been coming to Canada for about 60 years. Simply put, foreign workers are people who come to live and work in Canada for a defined time, such as farm workers.

The Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) recruits people exclusively to ease short-term labour shortages.

Recently, concerns have been raised about the impact this program has on the labour market, particularly its effect on the local labour market.  Not all the data is available at the Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) level, but up-to-date data can be located in this blog.

Temporary foreign workers include work permit holders, study permit holders and asylum claimants who are engaged in work activity in Canada

  • Temporary foreign workers are non-permanent residents with employment income in Canada who may hold permits for work, study or other purposes.
  • Work permit holders fall under the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP) and the International Mobility Program (IMP). Some IMP permits are not for work purposes.
  • Not all work permit holders worked in Canada each year. About 87% of TFWP permit holders and 69% of IMP permit holders for work purposes had earnings in 2021.
  • In 2021, 58% of non-permanent residents holding both work and study permits were employed, while 34% of those having only study permits were employed.
  • Holders of permits for non-work purposes accounted for 42% of temporary foreign workers in 2021, with the majority being international students.
  • Businesses are required to complete a Labour Market Impact Assessment ,but the Durham Workforce Authority may not be contacted to provide data to the application.

Youth Unemployment, Oshawa CMA

According to Statistics Canada, the normal rate for youth unemployment should be 2.5 times the total unemployment rate for individuals 15 years and older.  The youth unemployment rate in the Oshawa CMA has decreased year-over-year.   The total unemployment rate in July was 9.8 percent, meaning the youth unemployment rate should be 24.5 percent.  According to the chart below, the youth unemployment rate is 17.8 percent.

Immigrant Unemployment by Economic Region

Immigrant unemployment is available by Economic Region monthly rather than by the CMA.  This chart shows the total population unemployment at 6.9 percent for July 2025 and the unemployment rates for immigrants who have been landed 5 years or less are significantly higher.

Immigrant Unemployment Rate by Toronto Economic Region (Percentages)
15 years and over
Immigrant status 24-Jul 24-Aug 24-Sep 24-Oct 24-Nov 24-Dec 25-Jan 25-Feb 25-Mar 25-Apr 25-May 25-Jun 25-Jul
Total population 6.4 6.8 6.7 6.5 6.2 6.2 6.6 6.6 6.9 6.9 7 6.8 6.9
Landed immigrants 7.5 7.9 7.8 7.6 7.2 7.1 7.4 7.3 7.6 7.5 7.8 7.6 7.8
Immigrants, landed 5 or less years earlier 12.5 12.2 11.7 10.8 10.2 9.6 10.3 10.3 10.9 10.6 11.1 10.9 11.2
Immigrants, landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier 8.6 9.5 9.4 8.9 8.3 8.2 8.6 8.6 8.7 8.6 8.9 8.9 8.6
Immigrants, landed more than 10 years earlier 5.7 6.1 6.2 6.2 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.3 6.3 6.5 6.4 6.6
Born in Canada 5.6 5.9 5.9 5.6 5.3 5.4 5.8 5.9 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.1 6.2

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0471-01 

Businesses Using the Temporary Foreign Worker Program

This chart illustrates which provinces and sectors utilize the Temporary Foreign Worker Program.  The highlighted sectors using it most are:

  • Agriculture
  • Mining
  • Arts and Recreation
  • Accommodation and Food Service

The provinces with the highest use of the program are:

  • Newfoundland and Lab
  • Nova Scotia
  • Quebec
  • Ontario
Business  hired workers  through TFWP   in the last 12 months, second quarter of 2023
Geography Canada NL PEI NS NB QC ON MB SK AB BC YT NWT NU
North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), all industries 5.4A 2.3A 4.5A 5.0A 3.8A 7.3A 4.1A 5.5A 4.6A 5.0A 6.8A 6.9A 6.5A 1.9A
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting  [11] 14.8A 2.5A 8.9B 9.8C 4.4A 29.7C 17.5B 2.7A 1.6A 5.6B 13.4B 0.0A X 0.0A
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction  [21] 1.1A 16.8D 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A 3.8B 1.3A 1.6A 0.0A 0.0A 2.6A 0.0A 16.1E 0.0A
Construction  [23] 5.1A 3.6B 2.2A 2.5A 2.2A 0.9A 8.2C 0.6A 2.3A 7.1C 7.3B 3.7B 0.0A 8.4C
Manufacturing  [31-33] 9.6A 1.6A 12.2C 5.0A 14.4C 10.7B 6.0B 2.7A 9.0C 7.5B 18.8D 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A
Wholesale trade  [41] 2.8A 0.0A 0.0A 5.9B 0.9A 2.6A 3.5A 0.0A 1.3A 3.3B 1.4A F F 0.0A
Retail trade  [44-45] 6.1A 0.1A 5.0B 0.0A 7.0B 12.7C 0.0A 16.4C 14.1C 9.2C 6.4B 12.2C 2.6A 0.0A
Transportation and warehousing  [48-49] 1.4A 0.0A 6.5C 0.7A 1.2A 4.2B 0.0A 3.1A 0.7A 2.2A 0.8A 10.3D 0.0A 0.0A
Information and cultural industries  [51] 3.2A 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A 2.8A 5.2B 0.2A 0.0A 1.4A 0.1A 9.7C 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A
Finance and insurance  [52] 1.3A 0.0A 6.4C 0.0A 1.6A 2.6B 0.4A 1.8A 0.0A 0.0A 3.4A 0.0A 2.6A 13.7D
Real estate and rental and leasing  [53] 3.5A 1.7A 0.0A 5.4C 1.0A 0.6A 6.2C 3.3B 9.0C 0.1A 1.1A 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A
Professional, scientific and technical services  [54] 4.1A 1.1A 0.3A 8.3B 0.0A 7.9B 4.7B 1.3A 3.6B 2.4A 0.6A 1.3A 0.0A 0.0A
Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services  [56] 5.1A 4.4B 5.3A 0.0A 0.0A 13.2C 2.6A 1.6A 0.3A 3.3A 6.0B 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A
Health care and social assistance  [62] 2.8A 0.0A 3.3A 2.0A 1.7A 2.1A 0.1A 6.8B 4.7B 2.8A 9.0C 6.1B F 3.0A
Arts, entertainment and recreation  [71] 1.9A 0.0A 1.3A 0.0A 0.9A 2.8A 0.7A 1.3A 1.6A 2.5A 2.5B 9.2B 0.0A 0.0A
Accommodation and food services  [72] 13.3A 14.6C 8.0B 29.7B 15.3B 11.6B 8.2B 19.2C 14.7C 19.5C 19.6C 17.9D 24.6E 0.0A
Other services (except public administration)  [81] 5.4A 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A 0.0A 5.0B 7.6C 6.6B 1.2A 0.8A 7.2B 0.0A 6.9C 0.0A

Statistics Canada. Table 33-10-0678-01

This chart shows the size of businesses that use the program.  Most businesses using it are larger, with over 100 employees.

In response to growing concerns about the worker program, the DWA will track their impacts on Durham’s clusters and economic sectors as data becomes available.

About the DWA:

The DWA creates an annual plan supplying helpful information for community planning. Next month, the DWA will release its annual Labour Market Plan (LMP).

The plan focuses on the following:

  • Durham Region demographics change, migration trends in and out, educational attainment of residents, and changes in employers in the local area by employee size and 3-digit NAICs.
  • Enhanced Jobs First Durham (JFD) data extracted from the DWA’s boutique job board with hyper-local information.
  • An update on Employment Ontario data.

The DWA provides just-in-time custom labour market information and often conducts custom fee-for-service research. If you are interested in local data, please don’t hesitate to contact the DWA.

The Province of Ontario partially funds the DWA to supply Labour Market Information (LMI) to the Region of Durham.

What Jobseekers Are Looking for in Durham – JFD Insights from Q2 2025

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Understanding jobseeker behaviour is just as important as tracking employer demand. In Q2 2025, over 34,000 job seeker interactions were recorded across the Durham Workforce Authority’s tools, giving us a clear view of how people are navigating the job market.

The Job Board remained the most used tool, with 20,591 interactions and 15,341 job post clicks. The top search terms included “warehouse“, “retail“, “customer service“, and “restaurant staff” — reflecting continued interest in accessible, entry-level roles.

The Career Explorer, Job Map, and Portal also logged thousands of interactions, reinforcing that job seekers are using multiple tools to find the right fit.

When we look at occupational interests, sales and service occupations continued to dominate, especially within TEER 4 and 5 categories, which typically include roles that require little formal education or experience. However, there was also engagement with health-related and administrative roles, suggesting that some job seekers are exploring paths into more stable or higher-paying careers.

Interestingly, the most used filters on the Job Board showed a strong preference for work-from-home, seasonal, and casual opportunities. This indicates that flexibility remains a top priority for many individuals—whether due to caregiving responsibilities, transportation barriers, or other personal circumstances.

As Durham’s economy evolves, these insights show that job seekers are not just looking for work—they’re looking for work that fits their lives. Whether that’s a stepping stone role, a flexible job that balances family needs, or an entry point into a new industry, understanding these preferences helps employers and service providers better meet people where they are.

Who’s Hiring in Durham? A Deep Dive into Job Demand in Q2 2025

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Durham Region saw a notable increase in job demand in Q2 2025. Employers posted 11,048 new job postings—an 18% increase from the previous quarter. The total number of active postings rose to 12,660, and full-time, permanent roles remained dominant, reflecting continued stability in the local employment landscape.

The most in-demand occupations shifted dramatically this quarter. At the top were:

  • Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses (NOC 31301) – 1,256 postings
  • Food counter attendants and kitchen helpers (NOC 65201) – 1,442 postings
  • Home support workers and caregivers (NOC 44101) – 1,038 postings

Interestingly, retail salespersons and merchandisers, the top occupation in Q1, dropped significantly to 2,191 postings, indicating decreased hiring activity in that sector.

Across sectors, health care and social assistance retained its lead, with 2,168 postings, and continues to reflect systemic demand for care workers. Retail remained second overall in total postings but showed signs of slowing, while agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting emerged as a top growth sector, albeit from a smaller base.

The most requested skills included communication, management, customer service, and driving, highlighting the continued importance of general workplace competencies across industries. In terms of compensation, the average posted wage rose to $27.73/hour, with top-paying roles found in health care, trades, and retail management.

This quarter’s data also shows increased clarity in job listings: more employers are specifying wages and requirements, making it easier for job seekers to assess opportunities. Still, most postings required no specific education or prior experience, reinforcing that many roles remain accessible but may offer limited upward mobility without additional training or credentials.

Durham’s Labour Market in Q2 2025 – Growth, Shifts, and Signals

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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.

Skilled Trades Ontario Research Hub

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Skilled Trades Ontario is an agency of the Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development responsible for apprenticeship and skilled trades certification in Ontario. They are working to make it easier for skilled trades professionals to access services, promote careers in the skilled trades and address the labour shortage. We want to make Ontario the place where skilled trades professionals thrive. 

The Skilled Trades Ontario site has a Research Hub that includes 2024 trade reports that provide an overview of a trade’s key characteristics, including a description of the trade, educational pathway, workforce demographics and a snapshot of the current labour market conditions. 

Workforce Profile 

The trade reports include a trade description that comes from a combination of sources such as the Job Bank, Statistics Canada National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2021 trade descriptions, and Trade details from the Skilled Trades Ontario website. 

The profiles include information from Workforce Planning Ontario, including data from Durham’s Jobs First Durham site, to provide the number of job postings and income profiles.  To obtain trade-specific information for Durham Region, visit the Labour Market Insights Report on the Jobs First Durham site and search specifically by trade. 

A close-up of a graph displaying the workforce profile in Ontario, indicating the highest job postings by region. The graph includes percentages for various areas: Peel 22%, Western 20%, Ottawa 18%, Toronto 8%, Central 54%, Waterloo 5%, and Halton under Other Regions. There are text annotations and numerical data presented in a software-generated diagram format.

A screenshot displaying an income profile, featuring annual salary range from $59,000 to $78,000 and hourly salary range from $30 to $40. The source is credited to Workforce Planning Ontario, Labour Market Insights Report 2024.

 

 

We’ve Rebranded: A Fresh Look, A Stronger Commitment to Durham Region

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The Durham Workforce Authority (DWA) is proud to unveil our new brand — a bold, refreshed look that reflects our growing role in the Durham Region. While our appearance may be new, our mission remains unchanged: to provide reliable, hyper-local labour market insights that help people, organizations, and communities thrive.

Why We Rebranded

Over the years, DWA has evolved, expanding our tools, strengthening our partnerships, and digging deeper into the data that drives decisions across Durham Region. Our new brand reflects that evolution. It’s more vibrant, more focused, and better represents the energy and impact we bring to our work.

This rebrand isn’t just about a new logo; it’s about telling our story more clearly and effectively—a story rooted in data, community, and a deep commitment to creating opportunities for all.

What Hasn’t Changed

We’re still the trusted, local source for labour market information in Durham Region. We continue to:

  • Offer job seekers and career changers tools to explore in-demand occupations

  • Help educators align programs with current and future industry needs

  • Support employers with data to guide hiring and workforce planning

  • Provide policymakers and community partners with research that drives change

In short, we’re still your go-to resource for workforce insights — just with a brand that better reflects who we are and where we’re headed.

DWA Values

Our new look is grounded in the same values that guide our work every day:

  • Integrity & Trust – We deliver reliable, unbiased, and transparent insights.

  • Passion for Community – We care deeply about the success of Durham Region.

  • Curiosity & Innovation – We explore emerging trends and ask tough questions.

  • Hospitality & Equity – We make our work accessible and welcoming to all.

  • Collaboration – We believe we’re stronger when we work together.

These values are the heart of our work, and they shine through in everything from our research reports to the way we greet visitors at our events.

Looking Ahead

The workforce is changing faster than ever, and we’re ready. Whether it’s navigating automation, understanding wage trends, or addressing local labour shortages, we’re committed to helping Durham Region stay ahead of the curve.

Through this rebrand, we’re doubling down on our commitment to transform complex data into clear, meaningful stories that inspire action.

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be rolling out the new brand on our website and social media channels, so stay tuned as these exciting changes unfold.

We’re proud to serve this community — and we’re just getting started.

2024 Workforce Survey: Key Insights and What They Mean for Durham Region

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Understanding Durham’s Labour Landscape

With 795 respondents across all municipalities, the 2024 Durham Workforce Survey provides one of the most comprehensive looks at the region’s workforce in recent years. This rich data set—collected with a 5% margin of error at a 95% confidence level—provides community leaders, educators, employers, and service providers with actionable insights.

The Big Three Themes

The survey focused on:

  1. Employment Status
  2. Support Systems
  3. Skills and Education

Who Makes Up Durham’s Workforce?

  • The most represented age group was 30–34, followed by 18–24 and 25–29.
  • 57% of respondents identified as female, 41% as male, with others identifying as non-binary, trans, or two-spirited.
  • Education levels were high: 70% of adults aged 25–64 had completed post-secondary education, far surpassing provincial and national averages.

These stats suggest a young, educated, and gender-diverse workforce—critical assets for a growing region.

Employment Trends

  • 60% were employed, but a large proportion were looking for better jobs—especially those in part-time or seasonal roles.
  • Top job priorities across all categories:
    1. Work-life balance
    2. Competitive pay
    3. Benefits
    4. Career development
  • 21% of respondents were unemployed, most often due to layoffs, end of contract, or skills mismatches.

The implication is clear: while job quantity may be recovering post-pandemic, job quality and fit remain challenges.

Who’s Struggling?

Several groups face ongoing challenges in connecting to the labour market:

  • Unemployed workers cited the need for more work experience (76%) and hands-on training (57%) as top barriers.
  • Retirees and homemakers were mostly out of the labour force long-term, though some expressed interest in part-time roles.
  • Students are highly motivated but underemployed in entry-level jobs unrelated to their field of study.

This reinforces the need for targeted interventions, such as:

  • Paid internships
  • Bridging programs for mature workers
  • Soft skills and digital literacy training

 

 Services and Supports: Underused But Essential

Only 48% of respondents used any services in the region. Of those who did, the most commonly accessed were:

  • Employment services
  • Job readiness and credentialing (e.g., SmartServe, WHMIS)
  • Food security and mental health supports

More awareness and coordination between employment, housing, and mental health services could help address the root causes of joblessness and instability.

Staying or Leaving?

Encouragingly, 79% of respondents plan to stay in Durham Region over the next five years. But the top reasons for potentially moving were:

  • Lack of affordable housing (9%)
  • Need for work outside the region (8%)
  • Family considerations (7%)

This highlights the interconnected nature of economic development, housing policy, and workforce retention.

 

 What’s Next?

The Durham Workforce Authority will:

  • Launch the Employer Survey in 2025 to capture the demand side of the labour market.
  • Convene stakeholders from government, education, and business to align training and job creation.
  • Develop a strategy for sharing survey findings with employers, service providers, and community groups in accessible formats.

The key takeaway from this survey is that Durham Region’s labour force is highly educated and motivated—but there are still gaps in job quality, skills alignment, and access to support. Cross-sector collaboration will be key to unlocking the region’s full economic potential.

About the DWA:

The DWA creates an annual plan supplying helpful information for community planning. The DWA hosts Jobs First Durham (JFD) a boutique job board with hyper-local information.

The DWA provides just-in-time custom labour market information and often conducts custom fee-for-service research. If you are interested in local data, please don’t hesitate to contact the DWA.

The Province of Ontario partially funds the DWA to supply Labour Market Information (LMI) to the Region of Durham.