Job vacancies and job vacancy rate

Understanding job vacancies and the job vacancy rate

What is the vacancy rate?

The vacancy rate is the number of unfilled positions as a share of total labour demand (that is, filled and unfilled positions). It tells us the portion of labour demand that remains unmet and the share of employers who are actively looking for workers.  

Higher vacancy rates are often associated with labour shortages, as they can signal insufficient workers to fill open positions.  

In the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS), a position is considered vacant if it meets one or more of the following criteria (Statistics Canada, 2024e): 

• the position is vacant on the reference date or expected to become vacant in the following month 
• tasks are associated with the position and expected to be carried out within the following month  
• the employer is actively recruiting outside the organization 
• the position is not reserved for non-employees such as volunteers, external consultants, or subcontractors 

What does the vacancy rate tell us about imbalances? 

Like the unemployment rate, the vacancy rate alone is not a direct measure of imbalances. However, it can help identify occupations and regions where imbalances may exist and warrant further investigation.  

Vacancy rates provide employer-driven information about the labour market. When interpreted alongside the other indicators in this guide—particularly the unemployment rate—they can offer a powerful signal of potential labour market imbalances. 

Table notes

• The job vacancy rate is calculated as the number of vacant positions divided by total labour demand (filled and unfilled positions).
• Data is sourced from Statistics Canada’s Job Vacancy and Wage Survey (JVWS).
• A position is considered vacant if the employer is actively recruiting and the role could be filled within 30 days.
• Estimates may be subject to revision and should be interpreted with caution for smaller regions . Data may be suppressed due to low counts or unreliable data quality.
• Vacancy rates should be interpreted alongside other indicators, such as the unemployment rate, to assess potential labour market imbalances.
• Vacancies and vacancy rates data are available from April 2015 onwards.