Expand your global workforce in Canada

Name: Extensive Guide to Employment in Canada
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Author: Multiplier

Your guide to the employment landscape, working customs and local labor laws in Canada.

Capital

Ottawa

Currency

Canadian Dollar (CAD)

Languages

English, French

GDP per Capita

$54,233.87

Employer Tax

Varies on Provinces & Territories

Payroll Frequency

Hourly, Weekly, Bi-weekly, Monthly, or Bi-Monthly (Based on Province)

Talent overview

Canada is a highly developed country with a high ranking in the human development index among the world countries. It has a mixed-market economy and is the 8th largest economy as of 2022.

Major economic hubs:

Toronto, Ottawa, British Columbia, Brampton

Skills in demand:

Web developer, Software engineers, Human resource, Customer service, Sales

Top local universities in Canada

University of Toronto

Ranking

Local: 1

World: 23

University of British Columbia

Ranking

Local: 2

World: 26

McGill University

Ranking

Local: 3

World: 57

University of Waterloo

Ranking

Local: 4

World: 71

Simon Fraser University

Ranking

Local: 5

World: 74

Top Local Job Boards

RobertHalf, CareerBuilder, Indeed, LinkedIn

Number of LinkedIn users

22,100,000

Top Recruitment Agencies

TM8 Recruitment, Aerotek

Where to find talent

Top Local Job Boards:

Top Local Job Boards

Number of LinkedIn users:

Number of LinkedIn users

Top Recruitment Agencies:

Salary Data

Some of the top jobs in Canada and their annual salary are listed below:

Job Title	Average Monthly Salary (CAD)	Average Monthly Salary (USD)
Financial Manager	20,100 CAD	14743.35 USD
General Manager	18,300 CAD	13423.05 USD
Business Development Manager	15,900 CAD	11662.65 USD
Financial Analyst	13,300 CAD	9755.55 USD
Business Analyst	12,800 CAD	9388.80 USD
Project Manager	11,700 CAD	8581.95 USD

Employ in Canada

Employing in Canada

To nurture harmonious labor relations beneficial to employers, employees and the economy, numerous measures have been taken up by the labor program, some of which are collective bargaining, dispute prevention, and arbitration appointments.

Employee Contract

The language of employment contracts in Canada can be English or French. An exception is the Quebec province, which makes it necessary to have the contract, particularly in French.

Probation Period

The usual probationary period followed in Canada is from one to six months.

Public and Provincial Holidays

Holiday	Date in 2024	Observance
New Year’s Day	January 1, Monday	National
Islander Day	February 19, Monday	PEI
Louis Riel Day	February 19, Monday	MB
Heritage Day	February 19, Monday	NS
Family Day	February 19, Monday	BC, AB, SK, ON, NB
St. Patrick’s Day	March 17, Sunday	Not a stat holiday
Good Friday	March 29, Friday	National except QC
Easter Monday	April 1, Monday	QC
Victoria Day	May 20, Monday	National except NS, NL
Aboriginal Day	June 21, Friday	NWT
St. Jean Baptiste Day	June 24, Monday	QC
Canada Day	July 1, Monday	National
Civic Holiday	August 5, Monday	AB, BC, SK, ON, NB, NU
Labour Day	September 2, Monday	National
National Day for Truth and Reconciliation	September 30, Monday	National, federally regulated workplaces only
Thanksgiving	October 14, Monday	National except NS, NL
Remembrance Day	November 11, Monday	National except MB, ON, QC, NS
Christmas Day	December 25, Wednesday	National
Boxing Day	December 26, Thursday	ON

Employee Leaves:

Type of Leave	Duration	Mandatory
Annual Leave	14 days	Yes
Sick Leave	5 days	Yes
Maternity Leave	17 weeks	Yes

Leave Compliance

Payroll in Canada

Payroll cycle

Payroll frequency followed in the top Canadian provinces:

Minimum wage

The minimum wage in Canada varies with provinces. Below is a list of the top provinces in Canada along with their minimum wage. Please note, these are for general workers, and there shall be exceptions in the data depending on the age of the employee ( for those under 17) and the industry related.

Overtime pay

The standard working hours in Canada are 40 hours in a week. If an employee works overtime, they must be compensated at 1.5 times their hourly rate.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Payroll Category	Tax Contribution %
Canada Pension Plan (except for Quebec)*	5.95%
Quebec Pension Plan** (Retirement Pension)	6.4%
Employment Insurance (except for Quebec)	2.21%
Quebec Employment Insurance	1.63%

Employee Payroll Tax

Payroll Category	Tax Contribution %
Canada Pension Plan* (except for Quebec)	5.95%
Quebec Pension Plan* (Retirement Pension)	6.4%
Employment Insurance (except for Quebec)	1.58%
Quebec Employment Insurance	1.27%

Note:

**Quebec Pension Plan (QPP): This plan provides the employee from Quebec with three different benefits:

Retirement pension
Disability benefits
Survivors’ benefits.

To know more about the contributions, check here.

Employee Income Tax

Federal Income tax on employees (except for Quebec):

Taxable Income (CAD)
Income Tax Rates
0 – 15%
CAD 7,530 + 20.5%
CAD 17,820 + 26%
CAD 32,180 + 29%
Above
CAD 51,344 + 33%

Annual Taxable Income	Tax on the first Amount	Tax rate on excess
0 to 55,867 CAD	0	15%
55,867 – 111,733 CAD	7,530 CAD	20.5%
111,733 – 173,205 CAD	17,820 CAD	26%
173,205 – 246,752 CAD	32,180 CAD	29%
246,752 CAD and Above	51,344 CAD	33%

Quebec Personal Income Tax:

Annual Taxable Income		Tax rate on excess
0 to 46,295 CAD		15%
46,296 to 92,580 CAD		20%
92,581 to 112,655 CAD		24%
Above 112,655 CAD		25.75%

Federal Income Tax In Canada:

In addition to federal income tax, an individual who resides in, or has earned income in any province or territory is subject to provincial or territorial income tax.

Note: The tax will be calculated based on the slabs the income falls under. Once tax is calculated from the first slab, the remaining income (if any) is to be calculated from the second slab of taxation, and so on(Except Quebec).

Province / territory	Taxable income with corresponding Rates
Newfoundland/ Labrador	Taxable income up to CAD 39,147 or less – 8.7% Between CAD 39,147 and CAD 78,294 – 14.5% Between CAD 78,294 and CAD 139,780 – 15.8% Between CAD 139,780 and CAD 195,693 – 17.8% Between CAD 195,693 and CAD 250,000 – 19.8% Between CAD 250,000 and CAD 500,000 – 20.8% Between CAD 500,000 and CAD 1000,000 – 21.3% Taxable income above CAD 1,000,000 – 21.8%
Prince Edward Island	Taxable income up to CAD 31,984 or less – 9.8% Between CAD 31,984 and CAD 63,969 – 13.8% Above CAD 63,969 – 16.7%
Nova Scotia	Taxable income CAD 29,590 or less – 8.79% Between CAD 29,590 and CAD 59,180 – 14.95% Between CAD 59,180 and CAD 93,000 – 16.67% Between CAD 93,000 and CAD 150,000 – 17.5% Above CAD 150,000 – 21%
New Brunswick	Taxable income CAD 44,887 or less – 9.4% Between CAD 44,887 and CAD 89,775 – 14.82% Between CAD 89,775 and CAD 145,955 – 16.52% Between CAD 145,955 and CAD 166,280 – 17.84% Above CAD 166,280 – 20.3%
Quebec	Taxable income CAD 46,295 or less – 15% Between CAD 46,295 and CAD 92,580 – 20% Between CAD 92,580 and CAD 112,655 – 24% Above CAD 112,655 – 25.75%
Ontario	Taxable income CAD 46,226 or less – 5.05% Between CAD 46,226 and CAD 92,454 – 9.15% Between CAD 92,454 and CAD 150,000 – 11.16% Between CAD 150,000 and CAD 220,000 – 12.16 Above CAD 220,000 – 13.16%
Manitoba	Taxable income CAD 34,431 or less – 10.8% Between CAD 34,431 and CAD 74,416 – 12.75% Above CAD 74,416 – 17.4%
Saskatchewan	Taxable income CAD 46,773 or less – 10.5% Between CAD 46,773 and CAD 133,638 – 12.5% Above CAD 133,638 – 14.5%
Alberta	Taxable income CAD 131,220 or less – 10% Between CAD 131,220 and CAD 157,464 – 12% Between CAD 157,464 and CAD 209,952 – 13% Between CAD 209,952 and CAD 314,928 – 14% Above CAD 314,928 – 15%
British Columbia	Taxable income CAD 43,070 or less – 5.06% Between CAD 43,070 and CAD 86,141 – 7.7% Between CAD 86,141 and CAD 98,901 – 10.5% Between CAD 98,901 and CAD 120,094 – 12.29% Between CAD 120,094 and CAD 162,832 – 14.7% Between CAD 162,832 and CAD 227,091 – 16.8% Above CAD 227,091 – 20.5%
Yukon	Taxable income CAD 50,197 or less – 6.4% Between CAD 50,197 and CAD 100,392 – 9% Between CAD 100,392 and CAD 155,625 – 10.9% Between CAD 155,625 and CAD 500,000 – 12.8% Above CAD 500,000 – 15%
Northwest Territories	Taxable income CAD 45,462 or less – 5.9% Between CAD 45,462 and CAD 90,927 – 8.6% Between CAD 90,927 and CAD 147,826 – 12.2% Above CAD 147,826 – 14.05%
Nunavut	Taxable income CAD 47,862 or less – 4% Between CAD 47,862 and CAD 95,724 – 7% Between CAD 95,724 and CAD 155,625 – 9% Above CAD 155,625 – 11.5%

VAT

The standard GST rate in Canada is 5% while PST (provincial sales tax) rate varies in different provinces.

Bonus

13th Month Pay

No statutory mention of 13th-month pay in Canada.

Employee Benefits

Canada Pension Plan
Parental leaves
Employment insurance
Health insurance

Employee offboarding

Termination process

The Canada Labor Code explains the procedure to follow while terminating the employment of an individual employee or a group termination involving 50 or more employees from a single industrial establishment who are dismissed simultaneously within four weeks. If an employee believes the dismissal as unjust, they can file a complaint alleging unjust dismissal within 90 days, from the dismissal date.

Notice period

The notice period for employees on probation and permanent employees is between one to twelve weeks.

Severance pay

Employees have the right to collect severance pay if they complete continuous employment of at least 12 consecutive months before their layoff or dismissal. They are entitled to two days of regular wages for each full year they worked for the employer before their termination from employment. The minimum benefit is five days’ wages.

Visa and
immigration

Both Canadian citizens and permanent residents have a right to work in Canada. In case of non-Canadian nationals, a valid work permit will usually be required.

Your employment toolkit for Canada

Payroll

Professional Employer Organization

Employment Act

Working hours

Background Checks

Employer of record

Starting business

Work Permit

How to hire

Sole Proprietorship

Benefits & Compensation

Subsidiaries

Expand into
150+ countries

Expand globally and hire talent in 150+ countries without having to set up an entity. Use Multiplier's Employer of Record to manage the complete employee experience while having the flexibility to enter new markets.

Provinces/Territories	Effective date	Wage rate per hour (in Canadian dollars, CAD)	Note
Federal	April 1, 2022	16.65	The minimum wage rate applicable in regard to employees under federal jurisdiction is the general adult minimum rate of the province or territory where the employee is usually employed.
Alberta	June 26, 2019	15.00	—
British Columbia	June 1, 2023	16.75	—
Manitoba	October 1, 2023	15.30	—
New Brunswick	April 1, 2024	15.30	—
Newfoundland and Labrador	October 1, 2023		—
Northwest Territories	September 1, 2023	16.05	—
Nova Scotia	October 1, 2023	15.00	The minimum wage will rise by 1% annually starting on April 1, 2024.
Nunavut	April 1, 2020	16.00	Applies to all employees in Nunavut.
Ontario	October 1, 2023	16.55	—
Prince Edward Island	April 1, 2023	15.00	The minimum wage will rise to CAD 15.40 on April 1, 2024, and to CAD 16.00 on October 1, 2024.
Quebec	May 1, 2023	15.25	—
Saskatchewan	October 1, 2023	14.00	The minimum wage will rise to CAD 15.00 on October 1, 2024.
Yukon	April 1, 2023	16.77	–

Expand your global workforce in Canada

Talent overview

Web developer, Software engineers, Human resource, Customer service, Sales

Top local universities in Canada

University of Toronto

Ranking

University of British Columbia

Ranking

McGill University

Ranking

University of Waterloo

Ranking

Simon Fraser University

Ranking

Top Local Job Boards

Number of LinkedIn users

Top Recruitment Agencies

Where to find talent

Salary Data

Employ in Canada

Employing in Canada

Employee Contract

Probation Period

Public and Provincial Holidays

Employee Leaves:

Payroll in Canada

Payroll frequency followed in the top Canadian provinces:

The minimum wage in Canada varies with provinces. Below is a list of the top provinces in Canada along with their minimum wage. Please note, these are for general workers, and there shall be exceptions in the data depending on the age of the employee ( for those under 17) and the industry related.

The standard working hours in Canada are 40 hours in a week. If an employee works overtime, they must be compensated at 1.5 times their hourly rate.

How taxes work

Employer Payroll Tax

Employee Payroll Tax

Employee Income Tax

VAT

Bonus

13th Month Pay

Employee Benefits

Employee offboarding

Visa and immigration

Your employment toolkit for Canada

Payroll

Professional Employer Organization

Employment Act

Working hours

Background Checks

Employer of record

Starting business

Work Permit

How to hire

Sole Proprietorship

Benefits & Compensation

Subsidiaries

Expand into150+ countries

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Visa and
immigration

Expand into
150+ countries