Canada's aging workforce reshapes the jobs market
Nearly one in four manufacturing workers is now over 55, according to new Statistics Canada data. Rising costs and immigration pullback are key factors.
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Canada's workforce is graying fast. New data from Statistics Canada shows the share of workers aged 55 and older jumped from 9.3 percent in 2001 to 18.8 percent in 2022, with firms averaging older workforces now at 42.3 percent, up from 26.2 percent two decades ago.
The shift is most dramatic in manufacturing, where nearly one in four workers is now 55 or older — up from 9.8 percent in 2001. Technology is easing the physical demands of manual labour, allowing older workers to stay longer. "It's more of a symbiotic relationship with technology where technology is easing some of the manual and physical demands of labour," said Nita Chhinzer, an associate professor in management at the University of Guelph.
But the aging is driven by broader forces too. Canada's fertility rate hit a record low in 2024 at 1.25 children per woman. Immigration levels have been pulled back in recent years. A May 2026 Wealthsimple survey found 35 percent of couples with kids reduced retirement contributions to cover child-raising costs.
Canada's overall population is aging as well — the average age climbed from 37.5 in 2001 to 41.7 in 2021. In 2023, for the first time in Canadian history, the population aged 65 and older surpassed those under 18.
