Canada welcomed over 32,000 tech workers in the past 12 months, report finds

The findings highlight that between April 2022 and March 2023, 32,115 new workers came to Canada with the most migrating from India and Nigeria. This move is due largely in part to a more immigration-friendly national policy and a labour cost advantage. The report also highlighted the most attractive Canadian cities to top tech talent, with Mississauga, Ont., ranking first followed by Montreal, Que. and Waterloo, Ont.

Ontario has the largest number of tech workers within the country, but smaller provinces, like Saskatchewan and Newfoundland and Labrador, are experiencing the most rapid growth.

Both reported the largest year-over-year growth in their respective tech workforces, at 16.3 per cent. Windsor, Ontario has seen the highest growth in tech workers over the past year (28 per cent), followed by Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and Timmins, Ontario. This shift is reflective of broader workforce trends, with largely remote tech workers moving away from major metropolitan areas toward more rural locations.

“Our goal at TECNA is to serve as the collective voice of the regional tech hubs and tech associations we represent to help build the North American technology economy. This report is an important step in supporting this growth and helping our Canadian members better understand the state of the current workforce ecosystem,” said Yvonne Pilon, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors, TECNA, and President & CEO of Windsor-based WEtech Alliance. “Given the radical shortfall in tech workers to fill available jobs in recent years, it’s imperative we understand migration movements to better serve our members, the innovation workforce, and the broader technology ecosystem.”

While Canada has lost talent to the U.S. overall, net loss is not significant at only 1,672 workers. Considering the population of the U.S. compared to Canada and the total tech workforce of each, this demonstrates Canada’s competitiveness to tech employment opportunities. Canada is gaining American talent from the Northeastern states, and still attracting talent from major U.S. cities like Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago and Philadelphia.

The average compensation for U.S. tech occupations per the report is $175,600 CAD ($133,500 USD), while the average compensation for the same tech occupations in Canada is $100,400 CAD ($73,897 USD).

“We are thrilled with the recent announcement by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser, as it paves the way for Canada to welcome workers with H1B visas into our tech ecosystem. This groundbreaking program is set to bring 10,000 highly skilled professionals to our country, fortifying our position as a leading destination for tech talent,” said Chris Albinson, CEO and president at Communitech. “In addition, the Toronto-Waterloo corridor, one of North America’s largest and fastest growing tech hubs, already attracts talented individuals on a daily basis, and this new initiative will propel our ecosystem to even greater heights. Equally important, the valuable data provided in this study grants Canadian teams crucial insights into tech talent migration, empowering them to make informed hiring decisions, and better serve the broader technology ecosystem.”