Canada’s demand for artificial intelligence professionals is evolving rapidly, yet remains a small fraction of the broader labor market. Insights from an analysis of 12 million online job postings between 2018 and 2023 show a clear picture of how industries are seeking AI talent, which roles are in demand, and what skills are leading the pack. The study, conducted by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, provides a detailed overview of how Canada’s AI employment landscape is progressing and what hurdles lie ahead.
The report highlights that Canada saw a steady expansion in AI-related hiring from 2018, peaking in the final quarter of 2021. Since early 2022, however, the pace of new postings has slowed, likely due to broader economic uncertainty and a pivot by companies toward upskilling existing employees rather than hiring fresh AI talent. Despite these shifts, AI jobs continue to represent less than one percent of total online postings, indicating that AI employment is still an emerging niche in Canada’s economy. Companies appear to be increasingly cautious, focusing recruitment efforts on experienced professionals rather than entry-level candidates, which could have long-term implications for the talent pipeline.
When breaking down industry demand, the analysis found that eight key sectors accounted for nearly 70 percent of all AI job postings. The professional, scientific, and technical services sector remains the dominant player, contributing almost a third of AI-related hiring. Financial services, manufacturing, and publishing also show strong demand for AI talent, with notable increases in AI roles within traditionally non-tech sectors such as pharmaceuticals and chemical manufacturing. In sectors like publishing and electronics manufacturing, AI postings accounted for up to 3 percent of all listings, reflecting deeper integration of AI into their operations. These trends suggest that although overall AI hiring has cooled, the technology’s adoption into business processes continues to expand steadily.
In terms of occupations, data scientists remain the most sought-after AI professionals in Canada, representing 20 percent of AI-related postings. Other high-demand roles include software developers, engineers, database analysts, and computer engineers, collectively making up almost half of AI job ads. Despite the buzz around AI, the need for AI skills remains limited to specific job titles. Only data scientist postings show significant emphasis on AI expertise, with around 30 to 35 percent explicitly mentioning AI requirements. This underlines that while AI is becoming more essential, it has yet to become a core requirement across the wider job market.
When examining AI skills, machine learning remains the most in-demand specialization among Canadian employers. Other highly sought skills include natural language processing, neural networks, robotics, and image recognition technologies. The growing popularity of natural language processing and AI-driven automation is particularly notable in industries such as customer support, finance, and healthcare. However, the demand for robotics and autonomous system skills, while still modest, is on the rise as applications in logistics, manufacturing, and transportation gain traction. Interestingly, despite evolving applications, the core skillsets required for AI roles have remained relatively stable over the past five years.
Looking ahead, the report emphasizes the need for policy support to nurture Canada’s AI talent ecosystem. This includes fostering collaboration between industry and academia, introducing flexible education pathways, and ensuring training programs are closely aligned with industry needs. Timely labor market data will also be key to guiding the development of these initiatives and ensuring Canada remains competitive in the global AI race. As the country accelerates its AI adoption, the ability to cultivate, attract, and retain AI professionals will be critical to driving innovation and economic growth.
All data and analysis courtesy of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
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