Canada’s trucking and logistics sector lost 25,000 jobs in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same period last year, but none of those losses were among truck drivers, according to Trucking HR Canada’s latest labor market snapshot.
“While job losses of this magnitude are not unprecedented — 26,800 jobs were lost in Q1 2021, and even more in Q1 2023 (68,200) — this is the first time the industry has seen job losses that did not include truck drivers,” said Craig Faucette, chief program officer at Trucking HR Canada (THRC).
Instead, significant losses were concentrated in other occupations. Management, administration, finance, and HR-related roles fell by 17%, or 16,400 positions. Shippers and receivers saw a decline of 6.7% (6,900 jobs), while courier and delivery driver roles dropped by 3% (3,600 jobs).
Meanwhile, employment for transport truck drivers increased by 1.5%, adding 4,800 workers compared to Q1 2024.
Despite the changes, the overall unemployment rate within the sector stayed relatively stable. However, the number of unemployed workers across the industry declined by 22,100, while unemployed truck drivers increased slightly — by 1.6% or 5,500 workers.
The simultaneous decline in employment and unemployment suggests a shrinking labor pool, THRC said in a news release, adding that this could be due to workers exiting the labor market or shifting to other sectors. In contrast, for truck drivers, both employment and unemployment increased, signaling a growth in labor supply.
