Charlottetown 
A university degree still gives young Canadians an advantage when it comes to earnings, but it does not necessarily mean they are more likely to land a permanent, full-time job.
A new Statistics Canada study, How are young Canadian university graduates faring in the recent labour market?, released Wednesday found that 69% of university graduates aged 25 to 34 held permanent, full-time positions in 2025, down from 71% in 2022.
Despite the decline, the figure remains above the pre-pandemic average of 65% recorded between 2017 and 2019.
The study examined employment, wages and job quality among young Canadians with at least a bachelor’s degree.
Trades vs. University Graduates: Who Is Doing Better?
One interesting finding is that young Canadians with trades qualifications were slightly more likely to hold permanent, full-time jobs than university graduates.
In 2025, 71% of those with a trades certificate or diploma held such positions, compared with 69% of university graduates.
However, university graduates had the advantage when it came to pay.
Their average hourly wage was $39.18, compared with $34.71 for trades certificate or diploma holders and $31.39 for college graduates.
Those with a high school diploma earned an average of $28.77 per hour, while workers without one earned $26.97.
Although university graduates continued to earn more, their inflation-adjusted wage growth has been modest in recent years.
Women Still Face Gaps in Pay and Employment
The study also found differences between young male and female university graduates.
In 2025, 72% of men held permanent, full-time positions, compared with 66% of women.
Women earned an average of 92 cents for every dollar earned by men, a gap that has remained largely unchanged since 1997.
Having young children also affected women’s employment. Among female graduates with children aged six or younger, 62% held permanent, full-time jobs, compared with 67% of women without young children. No comparable difference was observed among men.
Some Graduates Work in Jobs That Don’t Require a Degree
Not every university graduate was working in a job requiring postsecondary education.
In 2025, 14% of female graduates and 15% of male graduates worked in positions typically requiring no postsecondary education.
Meanwhile, employer-sponsored pension coverage reached 60% among women and 56% among men.
The findings show that while university education continues to offer a clear earnings advantage, trades qualifications compare favourably when it comes to securing permanent, full-time employment.
