The 2025-2029 Labour Market Outlook uses data gathered in 2024 and does not capture developments after that time, including the imposition of trade tariffs by the United States and China and tariff countermeasures implemented by the Government of Canada.
Assessing the impact of tariffs on the labour market is difficult given the uncertainty about which tariffs will be implemented, how long they will be in effect and what retaliatory measures will be implemented.
The Manitoba government will continue to actively monitor the impact of tariffs on the workforce and will provide updated labour market projections when they are available.
Assessing the impact of tariffs on the labour market is difficult given the uncertainty about which tariffs will be implemented, how long they will be in effect and what retaliatory measures will be implemented.
The Manitoba government will continue to actively monitor the impact of tariffs on the workforce and will provide updated labour market projections when they are available.
Job Openings
Key Facts
- 138,400 job openings are expected over the five-year forecast period. This represents approximately 27,700 job openings each year from 2025 to 2029.
- 58 per cent of job openings will be due to replacement demand and 42 per cent due to economic growth.
- Sales and service occupations will have the highest number of job openings (29,000), followed by business, finance and administration occupations (26,800) and trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (25,600).
- Approximately 70 per cent of jobs available over the next five years will require some form of post-secondary education.
How is this information helpful?
The Labour Market Outlook (LMO) provides high-level insights into future job opportunities in Manitoba. It includes projections on whether job openings will result from new positions (expansion demand) or the need to replace retiring or exiting workers (replacement demand). It also highlights which occupational groups and sectors are expected to see the most growth, and the education levels typically required to access those roles.
This information is intended to support workforce and education planning by governments, training providers, post-secondary institutions and industry. It can also help students, job seekers, and individuals considering a career change understand where future opportunities may lie.
However, it is important to recognize that all forecasting models have limitations. The LMO is based on data available as of fall 2024 and does not reflect subsequent developments, such as recent trade tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration. Rapid changes in economic conditions, policy and global events can significantly affect labour market outcomes in ways that are difficult to predict.
As such, the LMO should be used as one of several tools to inform decision-making. It is not intended to override local or regional intelligence, which remains essential for understanding specific labour market dynamics. Stakeholders are encouraged to combine these projections with real-time data, expert insight and community-level knowledge. We will continue to monitor emerging trends and may issue an in-year update if significant changes occur.
This information is intended to support workforce and education planning by governments, training providers, post-secondary institutions and industry. It can also help students, job seekers, and individuals considering a career change understand where future opportunities may lie.
However, it is important to recognize that all forecasting models have limitations. The LMO is based on data available as of fall 2024 and does not reflect subsequent developments, such as recent trade tariffs imposed by the U.S. administration. Rapid changes in economic conditions, policy and global events can significantly affect labour market outcomes in ways that are difficult to predict.
As such, the LMO should be used as one of several tools to inform decision-making. It is not intended to override local or regional intelligence, which remains essential for understanding specific labour market dynamics. Stakeholders are encouraged to combine these projections with real-time data, expert insight and community-level knowledge. We will continue to monitor emerging trends and may issue an in-year update if significant changes occur.
Job Openings by Source
- Job openings due to deaths are expected to remain relatively constant over the forecasted period, accounting for 2,700 openings every year.
- Job openings due to retirements are projected to slightly increase, from 13,000 in 2025 to 13,500 in 2029.
- In 2025, expansion demand will account for 48 per cent of total job openings. After 2025, replacement demand (openings due to retirements and deaths) is expected to significantly exceed expansion demand, making succession planning especially important for businesses and organizations.
- Net interprovincial migration will result in a loss of 24,000 people over the five-year period.
Figure 3: Total Job Openings by Source, 2025 to 2029.
Job Openings by Occupational Category
- Occupations in the sales and service; business, finance and administration; and trades, transport and equipment operators categories will account for approximately 59 per cent of the total projected job openings over the next five years. The occupational category projected to have the fewest job openings (1,100) is legislative and senior management.
- Job openings due to replacement demand are expected to outnumber expansion demand in all occupational categories except art, culture, recreation and sport.
Table 9: Job Openings by Occupational Category, 2025 to 2029.
Job Openings by Industry
- The industries with the highest projected number of job openings in the next five years are:
- health care and social assistance (23,800)
- wholesale and retail trade (17,600)
- educational services (13,800)
- Along with transportation and warehousing (10,700) and public administration (10,500), these industries will account for over half of the job openings in Manitoba over the next five years (76,400). 41,800 of the job openings in these top five industries will be from retiring workers.
- Retirement will be a larger source of job openings than economic growth in most Manitoba industries. Exceptions are:
- transportation and warehousing
- accommodation and food services
- information, culture and recreation
Figure 4: Total Job Openings by Industry and Source, 2025 to 2029.
Job Openings by Skill Level
Of the 138,400 projected job openings, around 70 per cent (96,000) will require at least some post-secondary education or training. The remaining 30 per cent (42,400) of openings will not require formal post-secondary education or training.
Figure 5: Manitoba Job Openings by Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER) Skill Level, 2025 to 2029.
