77% of Canadian Job Seekers Say the Search Is Going Badly, Angus Reid Finds

Canada’s job market is producing two very different experiences depending on which side of the hiring process you are on.

Most Canadians who already have jobs feel relatively safe. Finding a new job, however, is proving considerably harder, according to a new Angus Reid Institute survey on the impact of the trade war.

The Angus Reid Institute survey finds 87 per cent of employed Canadians consider their jobs secure. But among people looking for work, or those close to someone who is, 77 per cent describe the job search as “bad” or “terrible.” The findings come as Canada has added just 26,000 net jobs through the first eight months of 2026.

Here are the highlights of the latest survey from Angus Reid Institute:

• Most workers still feel secure in their current jobs: Despite uncertainty surrounding Canada’s trade relationship with the United States, 87 per cent of employed Canadians say their employment is secure, while 11 per cent feel insecure. Those numbers are essentially unchanged from September 2025. Job insecurity ranges from 7 per cent in Saskatchewan to 14 per cent in Ontario and Atlantic Canada.
• Finding a new job is a very different experience: Among 1,546 respondents either searching themselves or close to someone who is, 41 per cent describe the search as “bad” and another 37 per cent call it “terrible.” Only 15 per cent rate it “good” or “great.” Even Quebec, where perceptions are comparatively more positive, has just 25 per cent describing the search that way.

• There are nearly three unemployed Canadians for every vacant job: Canada lost 42,000 positions in August and has recorded only 26,000 net new jobs so far in 2026. The release says there are now nearly three unemployed people for every vacancy, almost triple the ratio during the labour shortages of 2022 and above the roughly two-to-one ratio before the pandemic.
• Canadians remain cautious about their financial future: Thirty-five per cent say they are financially worse off than a year ago, compared with 16 per cent who are better off. Another 47 per cent report little change. Looking one year ahead, 28 per cent expect to be worse off, 19 per cent anticipate improvement and 44 per cent expect their circumstances to remain about the same.

• More than four in 10 are experiencing medium or high financial pressure: Angus Reid’s Financial Pressure Index places 22 per cent of Canadians in the high-pressure group and 19 per cent in the medium category. Those under the greatest pressure are more likely to report poor household finances and difficulty covering groceries, rent or mortgage payments.
• Groceries remain especially difficult for lower-income households: Food purchased from stores costs 29 per cent more than in August 2021, according to Statistics Canada figures cited in the release. In September 2026, 59 per cent of households earning less than $50,000 said feeding their household was difficult. Among households earning $150,000 or more, that figure was 25 per cent.

The Angus Reid Institute surveyed 4,417 Canadian adults online between Sept. 8 and 16, 2026. For comparison purposes, a probability sample of this size would have a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.