Truck driver jobs outpace labour market in October, while sector loses ground
OTTAWA, ON (November 17, 2025) — Trucking HR Canada’s most recent labour market information shows employment among Canadian truck drivers is outperforming the Canadian labour market in general.
According to Statistics Canada’s labour force survey data, employment growth among truck drivers rose by 1.5%, while employment across the Canadian economy rose by some 67,000 jobs in October compared to the previous month – a gain of 0.3%.
This means there were 5,200 more driver jobs in October compared to September. However, the trucking and logistics sector as a whole shed 9,000 positions in October, down 1.1% from September.
October’s unemployment rate in trucking and logistics nudged slightly lower to 3.9% from 4.0% in September. For transport truck drivers, the unemployment rate in October was 4.5% compared to 4.4% the previous month. This means unemployment across the sector and among drivers remained relatively steady and well below the national average of 7.1% in September and 6.9% in October this year.
“We also compare data to the same month last year to help remove some of the seasonal factors that may influence the data month to month,” says Craig Faucette, Chief Operating Officer, THRC. “Reduced employment and increased unemployment of transport truck drivers in October 2025 compared to 2024 suggests demand may be falling and that there may be more drivers competing for fewer positions this year.”
More highlights from the report:
- Across the Canadian labour market, October’s employment was up 1.4% year-over-year. October 2025 employment in the trucking and logistics sector is up more than 2% and employment of transport truck drivers is down 1.9% compared to October 2024.
- The unemployment rate in trucking and logistics remained roughly steady at around 4% year-over-year. However, the unemployment rate for transport truck drivers increased from 3.7% October 2024 to 4.5% October 2025. The number of unemployed workers actively seeking work has increased by 19.3%.
Read the October report
Check our full archive of Labour Market Information data.
Trucking HR Canada is the recognized national authority on workforce strategy for the trucking and logistics sector. We’re a non-profit centre of excellence, engaging with employers, governments, think tanks, industry groups, and stakeholders.
Media contact: comms@truckinghr.com
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