Canada’s tech workforce grew by a substantial figure during the Pandemic, data from CBRE’s 2023 Scoring Tech Talent report shows.
And despite a widespread movement toward working from home, most growth still orbits around the country’s major innovation hubs, such as Calgary.
The annual report, which comprehensively analyzes Canada’s tech talent workforce trends, found that the nation’s workforce in tech-based occupations rose by more than 15% from 2020 through 2022—a gain of 150,000 workers.
Within Canada, the biggest market is Toronto, scoring 5th in North America (down from 3rd last year), CBRE’s report reveals. The city gained more than 63,000 tech roles since 2020. The second biggest job creator was Montreal (ranked 4th overall in Canada behind Ottawa), adding just over 51,000 workers to its region.
Vancouver ranked second in Canada overall. The West Coast city once again scored the highest five-year tech job growth rate in the country.
The second highest expansion rate was beside BC in Alberta: Calgary experienced a 61% growth in tech talent. In Calgary, there are now more than 50,000 tech occupations, accounting for nearly one-third of all employment opportunities in the region. It’s a high-momentum hub for Canadian innovation.
A lower cost of living than Vancouver or Toronto enables strong purchase power for tech talent in Alberta, the report notes.
Calgary’s tech workforce makeup is split evenly between white and asian talent, according to CBRE data, who combine to comprise most of the pool.
According to CBRE, software engineers remain the most in-demand tech worker. Of course, there are plenty of other skills which can get one hired in and around tech.
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