Workforce Pulse Survey Results | Summer 2025

In July and August 2025, Careers in Energy, a division of Energy Safety Canada, partnered with 13 other national sectoral and workforce development organizations—representing key Canadian sectors—to conduct a Workforce Pulse survey. Employers provided feedback on staffing, hiring and workforce challenges in the context of ongoing trade and economic disruptions.

Careers in Energy sector highlights

• 76 energy and energy services employers responded.
• 36% report they are understaffed.
• Nearly 90% plan to maintain or increase staffing in the next 90 days.
• Skilled trades and technical roles are the most difficult to fill, followed by general labour (including frontline and production roles).
• Workload or project uncertainty is the top workforce-related concern.
• Half of employers report minimal business impact from U.S. tariffs—either no disruption (26%) or slight disruption (24%).

Workforce needs and outlook

Although 58% of energy employers report they are adequately staffed, a notable 36% are understaffed, indicating near-term hiring pressures.

Over the next 90 days, nearly 90% plan to maintain or increase staffing levels. Only 4% expect to reduce their workforce, citing tariff-related disruptions, productivity or performance issues and budget constraints.

Hiring challenges and workforce uncertainty

Reflecting broader trends across sectors, energy employers report that skilled trades and technical roles as the most challenging to fill, followed by general labour (including frontline and production roles).

More than 40% cite workload or project uncertainty as their primary workforce-related concern.

Tariff impacts

Nearly three-quarters of energy employers report some level of business disruption from U.S. tariffs, however half say the impact has been minimal—either no disruption (26%) or slight disruption (24%).

About the Workforce Pulse Survey

Workforce Pulse is a first-of-its-kind initiative from 14 national sectoral and workforce development organizations. Conducted in July and August 2025, the survey gathered insights from over 2,100 Canadian employers across key economic sectors. As Canada’s first coordinated rapid-response labour market intelligence effort, it offers a snapshot of employer sentiment—capturing how businesses were navigating trade disruptions and sharing their perspectives on workforce challenges, employment barriers and short-term outlooks.

Visit www.workforcepulse.ca to access the full Workforce Pulse report, including sector-specific insights, survey methodology and limitations.