Quebec has 28,600 job openings — many don't need a degree

Quebec's job market is wide open. The Institut de la statistique du Québec reports roughly 28,600 positions sitting vacant across the province's 10 most in-demand occupations as of the first quarter of 2026.

These 10 jobs alone account for about 26% of every vacant position in Quebec. The health and social services sector does much of the heavy lifting, with around 13,800 openings—roughly 13% of all roles waiting to be filled.

Registered nurses and psychiatric nurses top the list with 4,922 openings, followed closely by food counter attendants and kitchen helpers at 4,909. Nurse aides and patient service associates sit at 4,261. Retail salespersons, early childhood educators, transport truck drivers, social and community service workers, administrative assistants, shelf stockers, and cooks round out the top 10—ranging from 2,763 openings down to 1,553.

Many of these roles don't require a university degree, especially the retail and food service positions further down the list. The average hourly wage being offered across these openings is $29.15—notably below the $36.49 Quebec workers earn on average, though that broader figure includes people with years of experience.

Montreal comes in near the top for average offered wages, above the provincewide number, meaning the same job can pay differently depending on where you take it. The ISQ also measured AI exposure: a little over half of these 10 occupations are minimally exposed to artificial intelligence—nurse aides, truck drivers, shelf stockers, and cooks—the hands-on work that's hard to automate. Nurses and early childhood educators face technology that may change how they work without threatening whether they work. Retail salespeople, social and community service workers, and administrative assistants face the biggest AI risk.