Ottawa’s latest industrial strategy marks a quiet but meaningful shift in how Canada intends to compete. As part of Budget 2025, the federal government is committing $186 million to strengthen domestic sourcing under a new “Buy Canadian” framework, an initiative announced by Mélanie Joly. Though presented as an industrial
by Minh Dang
Canada’s technology labour market has entered a new phase in 2025—one marked not by the exuberant hiring cycles of the late 2010s, nor by the correction of the early 2020s, but by a more structural tension between digital ambitions and the talent required to deliver them. Across the
by Minh DangThere’s finally some real movement out there. The CSJ Hiring Index hit 5.8/10, the strongest reading since last year, and it lines up with what the rest of the data is hinting at. PMIs are creeping up, manufacturing is inching back toward expansion, and job creation has
by Minh Dang
Canada’s hiring climate took a small but notable step forward in October. After a September marked by a sharp rebound in purchasing activity but lingering weakness across key sectors, the latest indicators suggest that momentum is slowly broadening. The CSJ Hiring Index rose to an estimated 5.8, up
by Minh Dang
The services industry in Canada appears to have turned a corner, though the light ahead remains dim and patchy. According to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, the headline services PMI rose to 50.5 in October 2025, up from 46.3 in September, breaking above the 50.
by Minh Dang
Canada’s efforts to build a more adaptable workforce are confronting an uncomfortable reality. New data from Statistics Canada show that only 29.7% of workers participated in job-related training over the last year, almost unchanged from 30.3% two years earlier. At a time when the economy is slowing,
by Minh Dang
Canada’s consumer economy has been sending mixed messages for months, but the latest update offers a clearer signal: households are still spending, and that resilience is beginning to echo through parts of the labour market. RBC’s newest Consumer Spending Tracker shows that Canadians carried solid momentum into October,
by Minh Dang
After years of record inflows, Canada is tapping the brakes. The federal government’s new three-year Immigration Levels Plan will hold permanent-resident admissions steady at about 380,000 people per year through 2028, effectively pausing expansion after a decade of sustained growth. It is a shift that reflects competing priorities:
by Minh Dang