In-Demand Jobs in Canada 2026 — 25 Roles With Labour Shortages
The 25 most in-demand jobs in Canada for 2026 by Job Bank outlook and Express Entry category-based draws. NOC codes, wages, and where employers are hiring the most.
Canada's 2026 labour shortages are concentrated in six clusters: healthcare, trades, tech (selectively), transport, agri-food, and French-language service delivery. Here are the 25 roles where employers are actively short-staffed.
How 'in-demand' is defined in Canada
Two signals matter: Job Bank's per-province occupational outlook (1–3 stars, where 3 = "very good"), and IRCC's category-based Express Entry draws. When both align, you have hiring urgency plus an immigration pathway — which is what most job seekers actually need.
Healthcare — the biggest shortage
- Registered nurses — NOC 31301, TEER 1. Every province 3-star. Median wage $85k.
- Nurse practitioners — NOC 31302, TEER 1. Median $115k.
- Family physicians — NOC 31102. Provincial licensing bottleneck.
- Personal support workers / health-care aides — NOC 33102, TEER 4. Median $22/hr; every provincial PNP has a healthcare stream.
- Medical laboratory technologists — NOC 32120, TEER 2.
- Pharmacists — NOC 31120, TEER 1.
- Physiotherapists — NOC 31202, TEER 1.
- Dental hygienists — NOC 32111.
Skilled trades
- Electricians — NOC 72200, TEER 2. Red Seal; strong in AB, BC, ON.
- Welders — NOC 72106, TEER 2. Strong in AB, SK.
- Industrial mechanics (millwrights) — NOC 72400.
- Plumbers / pipefitters — NOC 72300 / 72301.
- Heavy-duty equipment mechanics — NOC 72401.
- Carpenters — NOC 72310.
- Construction estimators — NOC 22303, TEER 2.
Tech and cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity analysts — NOC 21220, TEER 1. Every major bank + Crown corp is hiring.
- Data scientists — NOC 21211, TEER 1.
- DevOps / cloud engineers — mostly NOC 21231, TEER 1.
- AI / ML engineers — NOC 21211. Concentrated in Toronto, Montreal, Waterloo.
Find your NOC + TEER
Match your title to the right NOC 2021 code — the number IRCC and Job Bank use to run the shortage data.
Transport and logistics
- Long-haul truck drivers — NOC 73300, TEER 3. Chronic shortage in every province.
- Delivery / courier drivers — NOC 74201, TEER 4.
- Transport truck driver-supervisors — NOC 72020.
Agriculture and food processing
- Butchers / meat cutters — NOC 63201, TEER 3.
- Farmworkers — NOC 85101, TEER 5. Agri-Food Pilot pathway.
- Bakers — NOC 63202, TEER 3.
How to use this list for PR
If PR is the goal, three things to line up:
- Confirm your NOC 2021 code matches the "main duties" ESDC lists — not just the job title. Use our NOC finder to get top-3 candidates with duty overlap.
- Check whether IRCC's current category-based draws include your NOC — see our CRS calculator to estimate your score.
- Cross-check the same NOC against the top provincial PNP streams — many run alongside Express Entry and have lower CRS thresholds.
To translate a foreign job title into the right Canadian NOC, read our NOC translation guide. If you're newcomer-first, start with the no-Canadian-experience playbook.