Top Industries by Employment in Canada (Total Employees in 2024)

In 2024, Canada’s workforce is distributed across various industries, reflecting the country’s diverse and evolving economy. The latest employment data reveals the trade sector remains Canada’s largest employer, while sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, and education continue to play critical roles.

Top Industries by Employment in Canada (2024)

1. Trade: 2,826,918 employees — the largest sector, driven by retail and wholesale activities.
2. Health Care and Social Assistance: 2,385,550 employees — reflecting ongoing demand for healthcare services.
3. Manufacturing: 1,562,671 employees — a backbone of Canada’s industrial output.
4. Educational Services: 1,471,592 employees — essential for training future generations.
5. Public Administration: 1,314,634 employees — covering federal, provincial, territorial, and municipal workers.
6. Accommodation and Food Services: 1,300,029 employees — vital to the tourism and hospitality sector.
7. Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services: 1,230,157 employees — supporting innovation and business services.
8. Construction: 1,179,222 employees — driven by infrastructure and housing development.
9. Finance and Insurance: 849,610 employees — supporting Canada’s banking and insurance sectors.
10. Transportation and Warehousing: 844,402 employees — crucial for supply chains and logistics.

At the lower end:

• Forestry, Logging, and Support: Only 37,470 employees, reflecting the sector’s smaller share in the overall economy.

Full Ranking of Canadian Industries by Employment (2024)

Rank	Indusry – North American Industry Classification System (NAICS)	Total Employees in 2024	Proportion of Total Employed Persons
1	Trade	2,826,918	16%
2	Health care and social assistance	2,385,550	13%
3	Manufacturing	1,562,671	9%
4	Educational services	1,471,592	8%
5	Public administration	1,314,634	7%
6	Accommodation and food services	1,300,029	7%
7	Professional, scientific and technical services	1,230,157	7%
8	Construction	1,179,222	7%
9	Finance and insurance	849,610	5%
10	Transportation and warehousing	844,402	5%
11	Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services	821,228	5%
12	Other services (except public administration)	572,917	3%
13	Information and cultural industries	358,892	2%
14	Arts, entertainment and recreation	317,890	2%
15	Real estate and rental and leasing	293,896	2%
16	Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	213,102	1%
17	Utilities	134,542	1%
18	Management of companies and enterprises	120,325	1%
19	Forestry, logging and support	37,470	0%

Source:

Statistics Canada. Table 14-10-0202-01  Employment by industry, annual