Are you a Hamilton-based business, non-profit, or registered charity? We want to hear from you.

 

The Hamilton Business Survey invites local employers to share their experiences, challenges, and outlooks. Your insights play a critical role in helping Workforce Planning Hamilton and our partners better understand workforce needs, recruitment and retention pressures, and business conditions across the city.

📊 Hamilton Labour Market Snapshot | January 2026

🔹 Employment dipped slightly to 438,900, driven by private-sector losses

🔹 Unemployment rose to 7.4%, above the national average

🔹 Population (15+) grew by 6,700 people year-over-year

🔹 Top employers hiring: McMaster, HHS, St. Joe’s, AgeCare & the City of Hamilton

🔹 Most in-demand roles: retail sales, food service, home support workers, RNs & transport truck drivers

📈 Get the full picture → click the link below!

Labour Market Information 101: Understanding Hamilton’s Labour Market

Welcome to Workforce Planning Hamilton’s new series, Labour Market Information 101, where we break down key labour market concepts and explain what they mean for our local community.

 

Click below to watch the video!

 

Hamilton Health Sciences is hiring for a HR & Payroll Business Analyst

 

Click here to view job listing!

 

Curve Lake First Nation is hiring for an Executive Director

 

Click here to view job listing!

 

McMaster University is hiring for a Program Administrator

 

Click here to view job listing!

Hamilton Business Survey – Now Open

Are you a Hamilton-based business, non-profit, or registered charity? We want to hear from you.

The Hamilton Business Survey invites local employers to share their experiences, challenges, and outlooks. Your insights play a critical role in helping Workforce Planning Hamilton and our partners better understand workforce needs, recruitment and retention pressures, and business conditions across the city.

 

The survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete and includes questions related to hard-to-fill positions, workforce challenges, and business outlooks for 2025/26. All responses are confidential and will be published only in aggregate form through a community report.

 

Your voice helps shape local labour market planning and supports informed decision-making across Hamilton.

 

Participate today and help strengthen Hamilton’s workforce.

As I return from parental leave, I’m both grateful for the time spent with my family, and energized to re-engage in the important, workforce-focused work happening across Hamilton.

 

Returning to the workforce is a significant transition for many parents, and it reinforces just how vital supportive employers, strong networks, and responsive workforce systems are to individual and community success.

 

This past year has brought notable shifts in Hamilton’s labour market, with continued demand in key sectors, evolving skill requirements, and ongoing efforts to connect local talent to meaningful opportunities.

 

I want to sincerely thank my team for their dedication and momentum over the past months. As we look ahead to wrapping up this fiscal year, I’m excited to build on our progress and prepare for a strong start to the new year fiscal year, continuing our shared focus on a resilient and inclusive workforce for our city. 

Connect to Careers Job Fair 2026 – Make Your Next Connection

 

Whether you're launching your career, exploring new opportunities, or looking to recruit top local talent, the Connect to Careers Job Fair is Hamilton’s premier hiring and networking event.

 

Join more than 2,000 students, alumni, and job seekers alongside employers from across the region for a full day of meaningful connections and career exploration. Hosted at the Hamilton Convention Centre, this free event brings together talent and opportunity in one dynamic space.

 

Event Details:
📅 March 3, 2026
🕙 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
📍 Hamilton Convention Centre, 1 Summers Ln, Hamilton
🎟️ Free to attend – advanced registration is required

 

Job seekers: Meet face-to-face with employers, learn about career pathways, and discover opportunities across a range of industries.

Employers: Connect directly with motivated candidates from three leading Hamilton institutions and the broader community.

 

Don’t miss your chance to build connections and explore what’s next. Register in advance to secure your spot.

Workers are remaining in the labour force longer today, either by choice or due to necessity.

 

Some workers are choosing to pivot into new careers after leaving the workforce – taking on gig work or starting businesses, for instance – while others are delaying retirement.

 

While there are increasing opportunities for older workers, many still face negative stereotypes from employers that can impede their job search or threaten their employment status. 

It’s no surprise that Gen Z workers are facing criticism as they enter the job market. Labels such as “unprofessional” and “unprepared” have been applied to this generation far too liberally.

Unlike millennials, who were once referred to as “undependable” and “entitled”, Gen Z inherited a modern workplace structurally transformed by rapidly changing technology. 

Workforce Planning Hamilton’s  labour market information  can help identify:

• In-demand Industries, Skills & Jobs
• Workforce demographics
• Growing, declining & changing trends
• Job vacancy data
• Labour force supply & demand
• Immigration into the workforce
• Currently hiring skills & positions
• And More!