Industry Statistics

The Staffing and Recruiting Industry

  • Canada’s staffing and recruiting industry group represents about two million temporary workers or 13.6% of the country’s workforce. (Statistics Canada)
  • The staffing and recruiting industry generates more than $15 billion in revenue toward Canada’s economy.
  • The industry supports the following functions: information technology (IT); engineering; administrative support; sales & business development; finance & accounting; human resources; professional/managerial services; healthcare; and industrial services.
  • The industry is primarily engaged in:
    • Permanent placement
    • Temporary placement/staffing
    • Executive search
    • Co-employment staffing services
  •  Many staffing and recruiting firms also offer:
    • Contract staffing
    • Temp-to-hire
    • Direct hire
    • Managed service provider (MSP)
    • Skills assessment
    • Training and upgrading
    • Payroll and benefits administration
  • Canada’s workers use staffing and recruiting firms’ services to:
    • Break into the workforce
    • Bridge to a permanent job
    • Access expert support to attain the most attractive offer, benefits and perks
    • Enhance their skills
    • Transition to a new career
    • Gain Canadian experience
    • Support side pursuits through flexible hours
    • Ease into retirement
  • Canadian businesses turn to staffing and recruiting firms’ services to:
    • Gauge employee fit before hiring
    • Access a wider range of talent, including candidates with specialized or scarce skills
    • Fill positions quickly
    • Adjust workforce to meet rapidly changing business needs (to special project, seasonal, long-term or unanticipated absence needs)

Statistics Canada Highlights for 2022*

  • Employment services, which include employment placement agencies and exectuive search services, temporary help services and professional employer organizations, experienced another strong year of growth in 2022 after a bounce back in 2021 (+22.6%).

  • In 2022, operating revenue grew 17.7% to $23.1 billion, as employment services were still in high demand to help fill job vacanies.

  • Operating expenses grew at a faster pace (+18.5%) than operating revenue, which slightly lowered the profit margin to 6.0% as wage pressures built up.

  • With salaries, wages, commissions and benefits growing by 18.9%, this expense item accounted for 53.5% of operating expenses in 2022. 

  • The employment services industry comprises employment placement agencies and executive search services, temporary help services, and professional employer organizations. 
    *Source: The Daily — Employment services, 2022 (statcan.gc.ca)