In 2020 we released two reports looking at the challenges and opportunities facing the environmental sector and its workforce. Though the challenges and opportunities facing the sector remain, our numbers have been updated to reflect the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the workforce.
Though the pandemic has affected every area of the economy, the outlook is more promising for the environmental sector, which is expected to rebound quicker than others.
Our updated Environmental Labour Outlook to 2025 presents the short-term job impacts of COVID-19 on the green economy and shows where new talent is needed in the next five years.
Report Highlights
- While Canada’s employed labour force shrank in 2020, the environmental sector workforce increased by roughly 5%.
- Environmental workers are present in every Canadian region, industry and practically every occupation.
- About 1 in 26 workers in Canada (689,000 workers) was in a green job in 2020.
- Job growth and retirements will account for 173,000 net environmental job openings by 2025.
- Labour shortages are expected across a wide range of different occupations, including senior government managers, physical and life science professionals, inspectors in public and environmental health and occupational health and safety and urban and land use planners.
Download the updated Labour Outlook, using the form on the right, to learn about the challenges and opportunities facing the environmental sector.
