A surge in hiring within the health-care sectors of Alberta and Ontario is significantly boosting Canada’s job market. This growth is primarily driven by increased funding allocated to these provinces for the health-care industry. Statistics from a report by Desjardins Group, analyzing job data from Statistics Canada, reveal that over 100,000 health-care positions have been added in public institutions in these provinces since the onset of the U.S. trade war.
The analysis of provincial budget documents by Desjardins indicates that Alberta and Ontario have each planned to increase their health-care spending by over $8 billion in 2026 compared to the previous year. Ontario earmarked $91.5 billion for health care, while Alberta budgeted $24 billion. Without this influx of health-care jobs, the overall employment landscape in Canada would have remained relatively stagnant, according to Desjardins’ deputy chief economist Randall Bartlett.
Data from the Labour Force Survey shows that since March 2025, the health-care and social assistance sector has seen a substantial rise in employment, particularly in hospitals and elderly care services, surpassing job growth in all other sectors combined.
The concentrated hiring in Alberta and Ontario aligns with their efforts to augment public health care. However, experts caution that merely increasing spending and creating more jobs in health care does not guarantee enhanced services for patients. Fiona Clement, director of the Centre for Health Policy at the University of Calgary, emphasizes that not all health-care jobs directly involve patient care.
The surge in health-care employment may also be a response to past slow hiring trends and could include wage increases for existing staff. Moreover, demographic shifts, with an expected influx of retirees among health professionals, could be driving the need for additional hires.
Experts highlight that health-care spending typically rises over time due to increasing demand from growing populations. The hiring trends in Alberta and Ontario reflect ongoing adjustments to meet the evolving needs of their health care systems. As the population ages and demands on health care increase, sustained growth in health-care spending is anticipated.
Looking ahead, projections indicate continued growth in health-care spending, with Alberta expecting annual increases of four to five percent. The focus remains on delivering tangible improvements and enhanced outcomes for patients as a measure of success for the substantial hiring efforts in the health-care sector.
