Fraser Institute Study Finds Canada Lags U.S. in Job Growth

The Fraser Institute published a study showing that the United States substantially outperformed Canada in private-sector job creation from 2019 to 2024. When adjusted for working-age population growth, the U.S. added 7.6 private-sector jobs per 1,000 working-aged people, while Canada added none. The report estimates that Canada would have created an additional 554,000 private-sector jobs by 2024 had it matched the U.S. growth rate.

Provincial data reveals a widespread decline in private-sector jobs per 1,000 working-aged people across nine provinces, with British Columbia recording the largest loss. Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province to report an increase.

Ben Eisen, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute, stated that private-sector employment across Canada has failed to keep pace with growth in the working-age population. He argued that this data contradicts political claims of a healthy labor market and noted that Canada has performed poorly compared to America in creating private-sector jobs.