Trucking, logistics employment down in March despite lower unemployment: THRC

Canada’s trucking and logistics sector employed 13,400 fewer workers in March compared with a year earlier, as transport truck driver employment fell 7.3 per cent, according to new data from Trucking HR Canada (THRC).

The sector employed 739,800 workers in March 2026, down 1.8 per cent from March 2025, while employment among transport truck drivers fell by 23,600 positions year-over-year to 301,500. Driver employment was also down 2.6 per cent from February.

“These employment numbers are part of a trend of decreasing employment, especially for truck drivers, compared to the previous year,” says Craig Faucette, chief operating officer at THRC. “The decline in employment, including driver employment, underscores the importance of targeted workforce strategies, and THRC is committed to providing the insights and solutions employers need to respond effectively.”

Despite lower employment, unemployment rates improved compared with a year ago. The trucking and logistics sector’s unemployment rate was 5.4 per cent in March, down from 5.7 per cent a year earlier, while the rate for transport truck drivers edged down to 6.3 per cent from 6.5 per cent.

The number of unemployed workers actively seeking jobs in trucking and logistics was 42,600 in March, down 7.2 per cent year-over-year, while unemployed truck drivers totalled 20,300, down by 2,200 compared with March 2025.

Statistics Canada said overall employment in Canada was relatively unchanged in March, rising 0.1 per cent from February and up 87,000 jobs, or 0.4 per cent, from a year earlier. The national unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 per cent.