The employment services industry comprises employment placement agencies and executive search services, temporary help services, and professional employer organizations. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to business closures in all sectors, and the unemployment rate jumped to 9.5%, as 986,400 Canadians lost their jobs. Changes to the way businesses operate, as well as border restrictions on the movement of temporary foreign workers who rely on placement agencies, pushed down operating revenue for the industry by 11% in 2020 after several years of strong growth.
