Foreign interest in working in Canada has halved: what Indeed's data shows

According to research by the Indeed Hiring Lab, the share of clicks on Canadian job postings coming from outside Canada fell from nearly 8% in July 2023 to 3% by September 2026. The drop coincided with a tightening of immigration policy, especially regarding temporary immigration. The research doesn’t prove a direct causal link: it only concerns the share of clicks, not the total number of job seekers.

What the numbers show

Indeed analyzed the share of clicks on Canadian job postings that came from people outside the country. It used location data on job seekers from 254 countries and territories. In July 2023, almost 8% of all clicks came from foreign job seekers; by September 2026, that figure was just 3%. That’s a drop of more than 60%.

It’s important to clarify: this is about the share of clicks, not the absolute number of foreign job seekers. Their total number did not necessarily fall by 60%. Still, from 2021 to 2023 interest in Canadian jobs from abroad had been rising, so the shift is notable.

Restrictions for students and temporary workers

One obvious explanation is that it has become significantly harder for Canada to admit international students and temporary workers. In January 2024, the federal government, then led by Trudeau, introduced a cap on applications for international study permits aimed at cutting approvals by 35% compared with 2023. Student arrival data for 2026 show figures noticeably lower than two years earlier.

Additional restrictions followed for students, as well as for work permits and temporary foreign workers. The government introduced arrival targets for temporary residents as part of its immigration levels plan, something it hadn’t done before.

The goal of the policy is to reduce temporary immigration amid concerns about housing affordability and strain on public services, including health care. At the same time, as the report notes, many of these concerns were based on public opinion rather than on data directly linking immigration growth to these problems. Still, the measures had a measurable effect: in 2023, non-permanent residents added more than 300,000 people to Canada’s population in a single quarter, and now that trend has completely reversed, with their numbers declining.

Which industries were hit hardest

Foreign interest declined across all employment sectors, but more in some than others. The steepest drops were in agriculture and forestry, civil engineering, chemical engineering, and electrical engineering. In agriculture and forestry, the share of clicks from abroad fell by almost 11 percentage points over three years.

The paradox is that in a number of engineering fields, the number of job postings is actually growing. Postings for construction engineers, electricians, and industrial engineering specialists are noticeably above the average index for Canadian job postings. Employers, it seems, are looking for more specialists precisely where foreign job seekers are becoming scarcer, which could create serious hiring difficulties.

Where the interest is coming from

At the end of 2024, Americans made up about 28% of all foreign clicks on Canadian job postings. By the third quarter of 2026, their share had fallen to 21%. This coincided with worsening trade relations between Canada and the US, though a causal link can’t be claimed here either.

As before, the largest share of interest comes from Asia. Interest from African countries has grown noticeably. Nigeria now accounts for almost 5% of foreign clicks on Canadian job postings, while India remains one of the key source countries for immigration to Canada.

Is this good or bad for Canada

There’s no clear-cut answer. The restrictions are partly meant to ease public pressure on housing, infrastructure, and public services, and to restore public support for immigration in the long run. Reducing the number of temporary residents could genuinely help solve part of these problems.

However, foreign students and workers already contribute to the economy: they work in industries facing labor shortages, pay taxes, rent housing, and spend money in stores. Reducing their numbers has economic consequences, especially for communities and industries that have traditionally relied on immigrants.

There’s also a reputational risk. If Canada becomes known as a country where immigration keeps getting harder and more unpredictable, attracting global talent will become more difficult. Even if the course changes, regaining that interest may not be easy. This is exactly what Indeed’s report points to: balancing population growth management with the need for workers in industries facing acute labor shortages will remain a challenge in the years ahead.