In 2025, about 85% of Canadian women aged 25 to 54 were working or looking for work. Women in that age group still earned 89 cents for every dollar earned by men. Both figures hold in every province, but the distance between them is very different in Charlottetown than in Calgary. This snapshot gathers the latest Statistics Canada and provincial figures and explains what employers and job seekers can do with them.
Key facts (latest available data)
- Participation of women aged 15 and older: 60.9% in August 2026 (Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey).
- Core-aged women (25 to 54): 85% participation in 2025, up from 38% in 1976 (Women and Gender Equality Canada).
- Hourly wage gap: in 2025, women aged 15 and older earned 88 cents per dollar earned by men. By province, the gap ran from minus 4% in Prince Edward Island to 18% in Alberta.
- Leadership: women hold 37% of management roles, and about 5% of Canadian companies have a woman CEO (WAGE).
- Trades: women were 14.8% of the Red Seal trades workforce in the 2021 Census. With cook, baker and hairstylist excluded, the share drops to 5.2%.
- Engineering: women were 18.7% of newly licensed engineers in 2023. Engineers Canada's target is 30% by 2030.
Canada Women Workforce by the Numbers
Participation is high for core-aged women and flat overall
The participation rate for women aged 15 and older has stayed close to 61% since 2024 and was 60.9% in the August 2026 Labour Force Survey. Because that figure counts retirees, an aging population pulls it down. The core-aged group shows working-age attachment more clearly. In 2023, core-aged women participated at 85.5% and core-aged men at 92.1%, a gap of 6.6 percentage points (Statistics Canada table 14-10-0327-01).
Pay is closer than it was, but the gap remains
From 2006 to 2024, women's average hourly wages grew 21.3% and men's grew 15.9% (Statistics Canada, Average earnings, 2024). That shrank the average hourly gap from 16.5% to 12.6%. In 2025, women aged 15 and older earned 88 cents per dollar. Compared with non-Indigenous, non-racialized men, racialized women earned 78 cents and Indigenous women earned 79 cents. Annual earnings, which also reflect hours worked, show a much wider gap. In Ontario, women earned 72 cents per dollar in 2023 by that measure (Canadian Income Survey, reported by Ontario's Pay Equity Office).
Where women are concentrated
In 2022, 28% of women and 16% of men worked in the five lowest-paid occupations, which are mostly sales and service, care work and administrative support (WAGE). Much of the pay gap comes from this clustering, and not only from unequal pay for the same job.
Women's Labour Force Participation by Province
The table shows 2023 Labour Force Survey participation rates compiled by Employment and Social Development Canada.
| Province | Women 25 to 54 | Mothers of young children |
|---|---|---|
| Quebec | 88.7% | 85.3% |
| Prince Edward Island | 87.6% | 86.4% |
| Nova Scotia | 85.9% | 80.1% |
| New Brunswick | 85.5% | 80.7% |
| Manitoba | 84.8% | 75.0% |
| Ontario | 84.7% | 78.7% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 84.6% | 82.8% |
| Saskatchewan | 84.6% | 76.3% |
| British Columbia | 84.6% | 78.8% |
| Alberta | 83.8% | 75.7% |
| Canada | 85.5% | 79.7% |
Quebec and the childcare effect
Quebec has had low-fee childcare since 1997 and leads the country. The Institut de la statistique du Quebec found that in 2023, about 87% of Quebec mothers aged 25 to 54 with a child under 25 were employed. The rate was 80% in Ontario, 79% in British Columbia and 78% in Alberta. The employment gap between mothers and fathers was about 7 points in Quebec and 13 to 16 points in the other large provinces. The Canada-wide Early Learning and Child Care system now serves about 900,000 children and saves families up to $16,200 per child per year (WAGE). Between 2019 and 2023, participation among mothers of young children rose 3.8 points nationally. The biggest gains were in Newfoundland and Labrador (up 8.1 points) and Ontario (up 5.4).
Alberta and the Prairies
Alberta has the lowest core-aged rate at 83.8%, and only 75.7% of Alberta mothers of young children are in the labour force. Manitoba's rate for mothers is lower still at 75.0%. Energy, agriculture and construction dominate these economies and employ far more men, which leaves many women in public-sector and service roles that are vulnerable to budget cuts.
Atlantic Canada
The Atlantic region runs against its older-population reputation. For core-aged women, Prince Edward Island's rate of 87.6% is second only to Quebec, and Nova Scotia's 85.9% is above the national average.
Ontario and British Columbia
The two largest urban labour markets sit just below the national average at 84.7% and 84.6%. Housing and childcare costs in Toronto and Vancouver still hold back full-time work for some mothers.
The Gender Wage Gap by Province in Canada
The 2025 average hourly gap, from smallest to largest
These figures come from Statistics Canada table 14-10-0417-01 and cover full-time and part-time employees aged 15 and older:
- Prince Edward Island: minus 4% (women's average was higher)
- New Brunswick: 5%
- Nova Scotia: 6%
- Manitoba, Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador: 10% each
- Ontario: 12% (same as the Canadian average)
- British Columbia and Saskatchewan: 13% each
- Alberta: 18%
What women earn per week
The Labour Market Information Council reported women's average weekly wages for 2023: Ontario $1,134, Alberta $1,084, British Columbia $1,081, Quebec $1,038, Saskatchewan $1,026, Newfoundland and Labrador $1,020, and Prince Edward Island $985. Alberta combines the second-highest weekly wage for women with the largest gap. A July 2026 Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives report found that women in Alberta earned 64 cents per dollar in annual earnings, using 2024 data. On weekly earnings they earned 71 cents, compared with 80 cents nationally.
Different measures give different numbers
British Columbia's government reported a 2025 gap of 14.5%, or about 85 cents per dollar, which is higher than the 13% in the Statistics Canada table. The two use different calculations. Median hourly wages usually show a slightly smaller gap than averages. In Ontario, for example, the gap was 11% at the median and 12% at the average. When you compare employers or provinces, check that the figures use the same measure.
Sector Representation: Where the Gaps Are Widest
Skilled trades
The Toronto Metropolitan University Diversity Institute published its Women in Trades progress report in August 2026. It found that women make up only 4.3% to 6.9% of apprenticeship registrations in electrical, carpentry, plumbing and automotive service. Across major trade groups, women's share of registrations rose from 7.6% in 1996 to only 12.5% today. Keeping women in the trades is a separate problem: historically, up to 70% of women in carpentry have left within their first two years. Eight years after certification, women in Red Seal trades earn 46% of what men earn, mostly because they are underrepresented in high-paying trades such as crane operation and industrial electrical work. The same report estimates that up to 700,000 tradespeople will retire by 2028.
Engineering
Engineers Canada's 2024 National Membership Report found that women made up 15.4% of engineering members in 2023. They were 18.7% of newly licensed engineers, down from 20.2% in 2022. The 30 by 30 goal, which APEGA first set in Alberta in 2010, aims for 30% of new licensees to be women by 2030. Representation varies widely by discipline: research from the Future Skills Centre found women were 54.5% of biosystems engineers but only 19.5% of electrical engineers.
Management and the C-suite
Women fill 37% of management roles but lead only about 5% of companies. Corporations incorporated under the Canada Business Corporations Act must disclose diversity on their boards and in senior management, so shareholders can see this gap directly.
What This Means for Employers
Use the federal apprenticeship incentive
Under the federal Apprenticeship Service, employers with 499 or fewer employees received $5,000 for each new first-year apprentice in 39 Red Seal trades, up to two a year. The amount doubled to $10,000 when the apprentice came from an equity-deserving group, which included women. Intake for that program was paused in 2025. In 2026 the government announced the Build Canada Apprenticeship Service under the Team Canada Strong trades plan. It will pay up to $10,000 toward a first-year apprentice's wages at small and medium-sized employers. When this article was written, the intake date had not been announced. Register on ApprenticeSearch.com, which the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum ran as a delivery channel for the earlier program, so you are ready when intake opens.
Bring your postings into compliance, then use them to stand out
Since January 1, 2026, Ontario employers with 25 or more employees must include pay in public job postings. For roles paying under $200,000, a posted range can be no wider than $50,000. These employers must also disclose AI screening, cannot require Canadian experience, and must tell interviewed candidates about the hiring decision within 45 days. British Columbia requires pay ranges in postings. In 2025, about 700 BC employers published pay transparency reports, and from November 2026 every employer with 50 or more employees must publish one. As of March 2026, 81% of BC job postings on Indeed included salary, compared with 56% across Canada. Federally regulated employers with 10 or more employees are covered by the Pay Equity Act. Confirm your own obligations with a qualified advisor. This article is not legal advice.
Learn from published pay reports
Public reports show where pay gaps actually form. In its 2025 BC report, Stantec said women earned 81 cents per dollar in median hourly pay in 2024, up from 78 cents. Women held 21% of its highest-paid jobs and 51% of its lowest-paid. BDO Canada's 2024 BC report showed women earning 82 cents per dollar in average hourly pay. Split your own payroll into four pay quartiles by gender. If women are concentrated in the bottom quartile, you have a promotion and sourcing problem, not only a pay-rate problem.
Recruit where women are looking
If you want to reach women in trades, engineering and management, WomenAtWork.ca for employers puts your roles in front of women across Canada who are looking for work or their next step. Pair it with provincial engineering regulators' engineer-in-training networks and trades outreach groups such as Build a Dream in Ontario.
What This Means for Job Seekers
Know what the role pays before you apply
Job Bank's Wages tool at jobbank.gc.ca lists low, median and high hourly wages by occupation and economic region. In Ontario, most postings from employers with 25 or more staff must now show a range no wider than $50,000. In British Columbia, read the pay transparency reports that employers post on their websites. You can see an employer's gender gap and quartile split before your first interview.
Go where employers are paid to hire you
A small or medium employer that hires a woman as a first-year Red Seal apprentice can receive up to $10,000 under federal incentives once intake reopens. If you are considering electrical, plumbing or carpentry, make a profile on ApprenticeSearch.com and ask employers whether they plan to use the incentive. In engineering, register as an engineer-in-training with your provincial regulator, such as PEO in Ontario or APEGA in Alberta. Every one of these regulators has signed on to 30 by 30.
Use provincial gaps when you negotiate
In provinces with an 18% or 13% gap, the posted range is usually a better reference than what colleagues tell you. Ask for a salary in the upper half of the range and base it on the Job Bank median for your region. You can browse current openings and build a profile at WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.
FAQ
What is the labour force participation rate for women in Canada?
It was 60.9% for women aged 15 and older in August 2026. For core-aged women (25 to 54) it was about 85% in 2025, a rate held down less by retirement.
Which province has the largest gender wage gap?
Alberta had the largest gap in 2025 at 18% on average hourly wages. Prince Edward Island had the smallest, where women's average hourly wage was 4% higher than men's.
Why is Quebec's participation rate higher?
Quebec has had low-fee childcare since 1997. In 2023, core-aged women there participated at 88.7%, and the employment gap between mothers and fathers was about half the gap in other large provinces.
Do employers get funding to hire women apprentices?
Yes. Under the federal Apprenticeship Service, small and medium employers got $10,000 for each woman hired as a first-year Red Seal apprentice. A successor program announced in 2026 offers up to $10,000, but its intake date has not been set.
Is WomenAtWork.ca only for job seekers?
No. WomenAtWork.ca serves employers who want to reach women candidates across Canada and women who are looking for work or advancement.
How WomenAtWork.ca Serves Both Sides of the Market
The data shows the distance to close: 85% participation, 88 cents on the dollar, 5.2% of non-service Red Seal trades and 18.7% of new engineers. Whether you are hiring or job hunting, WomenAtWork.ca serves both sides of the market. Employers can review pricing and post a role at WomenAtWork.ca for employers. Job seekers can browse openings and create a profile at WomenAtWork.ca for job seekers.