Future of Work

The Skills Gap in Canada: What It Means for Your Job

By Formativelabz Inc. Published October 5, 2026.

A skills gap is simple. Employers have jobs to fill. Workers do not yet have the skills those jobs need. Both sides are stuck.

What the research says

• A 2022 Statistics Canada survey found over half of employers were dealing with skills gaps, and more than two-thirds struggled to find candidates with the right skills. (Future Skills Centre)
• Skill imbalances are expected to push Canada's job vacancies to 917,000 by 2040, a vacancy rate of 3.8 per cent, with over $11 billion in lost economic activity. (Future Skills Centre)
• Vacancies in knowledge-based services are expected to rise 35 per cent between 2023 and 2040. Technical and manual services are expected to rise 30 per cent. (Future Skills Centre)
• In technical and manual services, demand for foundational and interpersonal skills, such as oral comprehension and coordination, is expected to grow, while imbalances in technical skills are expected to decline.

What this means for a working person

1. Your people skills count. Employers will keep asking for communication and teamwork.
2. Short, job-linked training is often the quickest way to close a gap.
3. You do not have to pay for everything yourself. Alberta lists short-term training and support for workers (see our article on funded training in Alberta).

Three steps this month

• Write down the three tasks in your job that are changing.
• Pick one skill to learn for each, and check one short course for it.
• Ask your employer if they support training.

Formativelabz Inc offers short professional courses for working adults. See all courses on our Courses page.