The Technology Councils of North America alongside Canada’s Tech Network this week released the results of an extensive workforce study conducted in May.
The TECNA report details shifts in North American tech occupations. The study was formulated to delve deep into two primary aspects: the migration of tech talent and factors propelling the relocation or expansion of tech firms in the post-pandemic landscape.
“The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the globalization effect and resulting migration activity of tech occupations in North America,” an executive summary reads.
The landscape of the tech industry underwent a drastic transformation in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic—by now we are all well aware of this fact. But the obviousness of the shift should not distract from its long-term impact.
Historically, tech talents were drawn towards larger tech hubs, where the demand for their skills was high. However, the pandemic’s influence has resulted in tech workers moving away from these hubs, a change driven by the rise of remote work and recruitment trends moving in a reverse fashion.
Before the pandemic, large companies (employing 1,000 or more individuals) were the primary attractors of tech talent. Evolving trends have shown a migration of tech workers from these tech hubs, leaving industry experts wondering where these tech workers are now settling.
“Workers are moving away from large tech hubs as employers are now recruiting workers in a reverse fashion because of the way the tech workforce way of working has changed from an office setting to more remote,” the report explains. “Knowing the data around where the tech workforce has migrated to is especially important to TECNA, as our mission is to serve as the collective voice of the regional tech hubs and trade associations.”
TECNA aims to shed light on migration patterns, thereby allowing it to serve regional tech hubs, trade associations, and the North American technology economy more efficiently.
Global net in-migration of tech talent to Canada remains strong, according to the report, with a majority of tech talent migrating from India, Nigeria, and Brazil. In addition to this, U.S.-based tech companies are investing in Canada due to geographical proximity and a favourable disparity in compensation.
Overall, Canada gained more than 32,000 tech workers in 2022, primarily through the nation’s immigration policy. The country now has more than 400,000 software developers.
As for skills, tech savviness and customer friendliness rank top. The most in-demand tech skills in Canada are Customer Experience, Microsoft Azure, Analytical Skills, Amazon Web Services, React.js, Jira, Data Science, GitHub, Customer Satisfaction, and Customer Relationship Management.
According to the data, the top universities providing tech workforce talent are the University of Toronto, the University of Waterloo, and Concordia University. The University of British Columbia, BCIT, and McGill University also contribute thousands of workers to Canada’s tech talent pipeline.
Major employers of tech workers in Canada include TD, RBC, Amazon, Bell, and Scotiabank.
