Seven questions, seven charts
The core findings of the State of the tech job market in Canada (Late 2026), one question at a time. Each card states the answer in one line and shows the chart behind it.
Are tech vacancies rising in Canada?
Yes, narrowly. Total vacancies fell from 1,032,215 in Q2 2022 to 548,400 in Q2 2026, down 46.9%, in the direct StatCan WDS series. Natural and applied sciences vacancies reached 43,400 in Q2 2026, up 5.7% from Q1 and up 6.0% year over year. Software developers stood at 3,545, up 925 from a year earlier. Canada has no PM openings series, so no Canada PM win can be claimed.
Is software hiring weak?
Yes. Indeed Canada software development postings fell 8.0% year to date to Sep 30, 2026, and sit 22% below the pre-pandemic baseline, at an index of 78. Software engineers fell from 9,480 in Q2 2022 to 2,625 in Q2 2026, down 72.3%. Engineering postings, by contrast, are rising.
How is design doing in Canada?
Graphic designers fell hard. Vacancies fell from 2,995 in Q2 2022 to 770 in Q2 2026, down 74.3%. Lenny counts about 1,900 open product design roles worldwide, down 28% in a year. Canada still has no product design count. Job Bank rates the software outlook Very limited in Toronto and Ontario, and Good in Nova Scotia.
Does everybody now need AI?
AI words appear in 19.0% of all Canadian Indeed postings on Sep 30, 2026, up from 5.7% a year earlier. Ontario sits at 28%, but Ontario's Jan 2026 disclosure rule drives much of the jump. Read the 19% with that caveat.
Where does Canadian tech talent concentrate?
Toronto ranks 3rd in North America, and six Canadian cities sit in the top 15. Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver hold 60% of Canada's AI jobs. Concentration is real, but it is spread across six cities, not one Bay Area. CBRE is a private report, shown as secondary context only.
Is remote work gone?
Nearly. Only 4% of Canadian technology postings in Q2 2026 were fully remote. Hybrid was 16% and fully on-site was 80%. This report makes no record claim, because no longer series is shown. Robert Half via TalentNeuron is a private panel.
Where is the growth, if not in software?
Outside software. Civil engineering postings rose 30% year over year. Manufacturing vacancies rose 17.1% and trades vacancies rose 6.6%. Health vacancies fell 7.8% and software postings fell 8.0% year to date.
