Saskatchewan reports strong labour market growth with 19,000 new full-time jobs added in September
Statistics Canada’s recent labour force data reveals Saskatchewan’s robust employment, with 19,000 full-time positions created year-over-year, marking a 2.2% overall increase. The province maintains the second-lowest unemployment rate among Canadian provinces at 6%, well below the national average of 7.1%. Deputy Premier Jim Reiter emphasized the government’s commitment to sustaining this momentum, positioning Saskatchewan as Canada’s premier destination for employment opportunities. Healthcare and social assistance sectors led growth with 8,400 new positions, while business and building support services expanded by 2,800 jobs, reflecting broader economic strength across the province.
Canadian universities depend more on international student fees as finances change
A new Statistics Canada study analyzing financial ratios for Canadian universities reveals significant shifts in institutional revenue streams, particularly an increased dependency on international student tuition fees. The comprehensive analysis examines how universities navigated financial pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic, including campus closures, fluctuating international enrollment, and enhanced federal research funding. Larger institutions, U15 members, and graduate-focused universities demonstrated higher research revenue and tuition discount rates, while maintaining lower reliance on ancillary income. With recent policy restrictions on international student admissions, universities in Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario face potential revenue challenges in the 2024/2025 fiscal year and beyond, as indicated by their tuition dependency ratios.
IRCC invited nearly 5,000 candidates under the IEC program
Over the past month, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) held new draws in the International Experience Canada (IEC) pools. From September 6 to October 10, Canada invited 4,965 young foreigners to apply for an IEC open work permit. As of October 10, 39,279 candidates were registered in the pool and awaiting invitations. Canada issued 1 ITA for Andorra, 719 ITAs for Australia, 12 ITAs for Austria, 13 ITAs for Belgium, 1 ITA for Chile, 8 ITAs for Costa Rica, 19 ITAs for Croatia, 111 ITAs for the Czech Republic, 29 ITAs for Denmark, 8 ITAs for Estonia, 27 ITAs for Finland, 678 ITAs for France, 497 ITAs for Germany, 41 ITAs for Greece, 27 ITAs for Hong Kong, 5 ITAs for Iceland, 432 ITAs for Ireland, 392 ITAs for Italy, 29 ITAs for Japan, 1,112 ITAs for Korea, 6 ITAs for Latvia, 24 ITAs for Lithuania, 5 ITAs for Luxembourg, 222 ITAs for New Zealand, 20 ITAs for Norway, 94 ITAs for Poland, 96 ITAs for Portugal, 1 ITA for San Marino, 57 ITAs for Slovakia, 10 ITAs for Slovenia, 33 ITAs for Spain, 49 ITAs for Sweden, 20 ITAs for Switzerland, 25 ITAs for Taiwan, and 142 ITAs for the United Kingdom. In 2025, Canada issued 99,343 ITAs under the IEC Program.
ESDC updated processing times for LMIA streams
On October 9, 2025, Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) updated the processing times for the Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under various streams. Based on statistics from all processing centres, the current average LMIA processing times have decreased or remained the same for all streams, except for the Permanent Residence Stream and High-wage Stream.
- Global Talent Stream – 8 business days
- Agricultural stream – 13 business days (-3 days)
- Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program – 7 business days (-1 day)
- Permanent Residence Stream – 260 business days (+1 day)
- High-wage Stream – 38 business days (+1 day)
- Low-wage Stream – 41 business days (-1 day)
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