Earnings Have Increased 3.4% Over the Year
Average weekly earnings increased 3.4% over the 12 months to June.
That followed year-over-year growth of 3.3% in May.
The latest increase means the average weekly earnings figure has continued to rise even though employment conditions have been relatively mixed.
However, the earnings figure should not be interpreted as the amount every Canadian worker earns.
It is an average across employees covered by Statistics Canada's Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours.
How Did Earnings Change From May?
Average weekly earnings increased 0.6% between May and June.
The average rose from C$1,336.30 in May to C$1,343.86 in June.
The increase was not the same across every industry.
Some sectors recorded stronger growth, while others experienced declines in average weekly earnings during the month.
Which Industries Have the Highest Weekly Earnings?
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction recorded average weekly earnings of C$2,545.70 in June.
Utilities followed at C$2,295.58.
Management of companies and enterprises recorded average weekly earnings of C$1,982.69, while professional, scientific and technical services recorded C$1,920.15.
Finance and insurance reached C$1,915.72.
These figures show why the national average does not represent a typical paycheck across every occupation or industry.
Earnings in Retail and Other Consumer-Facing Industries
Retail trade recorded average weekly earnings of C$790.28 in June.
That was 0.8% lower than May but still 6.0% higher than June 2025.
Accommodation and food services also remained one of the lower-paying sectors by average weekly earnings.
The difference between industries is important when looking at Canada's overall average because workers' earnings can vary significantly depending on where they work.
How Much Are Workers Earning Across Canada?
There were notable differences between provinces and territories.
Ontario recorded average weekly earnings of C$1,383.94 in June, up 3.9% from a year earlier.
British Columbia recorded C$1,351.02, up 3.7%.
Alberta recorded C$1,387.44, although its year-over-year increase was 1.9%.
Quebec recorded C$1,291.91, up 2.7%.
Among the territories, Nunavut recorded the highest average weekly earnings at C$1,883.29, while the Northwest Territories recorded C$1,705.04.
The territorial figures should be interpreted carefully because their smaller populations can produce greater variation in monthly estimates.
Job Vacancies Rise to 509,100
The earnings increase came alongside a rise in job vacancies.
Statistics Canada reported 509,100 job vacancies in June, an increase of 10,500 from May.
Compared with June 2025, vacancies were up 13,800, or 2.8%.
The job vacancy rate was 2.8% in June, unchanged from May and from the same month last year.
How Many Unemployed People Are There Per Job Vacancy?
There were 2.9 unemployed people for every job vacancy in June.
That was down from 3.0 in May and 3.1 in June 2025.
The decrease reflected a decline in the number of unemployed people combined with relatively little change in the number of available jobs.
This suggests that the balance between job seekers and available positions improved slightly compared with the previous year.
Payroll Employment Barely Changes
Payroll employment increased by only 4,800, or 0.0%, in June.
That followed an increase of 45,000 in May.
On a year-over-year basis, payroll employment was up by 155,000, or 0.8%.
This creates a mixed picture for Canadian workers.
Average earnings are rising, but the number of employees receiving pay and benefits changed very little during the month.
Where Are the Most Job Vacancies?
Health care and social assistance had the largest number of job vacancies among the sectors listed by Statistics Canada, with 93,600 vacancies in June.
Retail trade had 50,200 vacancies.
Accommodation and food services had 58,200.
Construction had 39,100, while manufacturing had 39,500.
Professional, scientific and technical services had 39,000 vacancies.
These numbers show that labour demand remains significant across several parts of the Canadian economy.
What Does This Mean for Canadian Workers?
The latest data offers two different signals.
On one side, average weekly earnings are growing. Canadians covered by the survey were earning 3.4% more per week on average than they did a year earlier.
On the other side, payroll employment was almost unchanged from May.
For individual workers, the impact will depend on their industry, province, occupation, hours worked and whether their pay increased during the period.
The national average is therefore useful for understanding the broader trend but does not predict what an individual worker earns.
Does $1,344 Mean Every Canadian Earns That Much?
No.
The C$1,343.86 figure is an average, not a standard wage or minimum income for Canadian workers.
Statistics Canada's Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours covers employees receiving pay and benefits but excludes self-employed people, owners and partners of unincorporated businesses and professional practices, as well as employees in the agricultural sector.
This means the number should be used as a broad indicator of employee earnings rather than a typical paycheck for every Canadian.
What Should Canadians Watch Next?
The next important question is whether earnings growth continues while employment and job vacancies remain relatively stable.
Workers and households may also want to watch inflation because higher earnings do not automatically translate into greater purchasing power if consumer prices are rising quickly.
For job seekers, vacancy trends by industry can provide useful information about where employers are still looking for workers.
TwikUp Insight
Statistics Canada's latest figures show that Canadian employee earnings continued to grow in June.
Average weekly earnings reached nearly C$1,344, up 3.4% from a year earlier.
At the same time, job vacancies increased to 509,100, while payroll employment was almost unchanged from May.
The numbers point to a labour market where earnings are moving higher but employment growth remains relatively modest.
For Canadian households, the most important takeaway is that the national average is only one part of the picture. Actual earnings can vary substantially by province, industry and occupation.
The next few months will show whether wage growth can remain strong while the labour market continues to adjust.
