Former federal finance minister Chrystia Freeland abandoning her post as Canada unveiled its annual Economic Outlook was the latest signal—loud and clear!—that our country’s economy is not in an exceptionally strong position.
As the dollar tanks and incoming U.S. President Donald Trump challenges Canadian leadership, there are reasons to be concerned about the state of employment in the nation relative to our southern neighbour.
Tech talent, at least, remains a field ripe with opportunity. Powerful new technologies are cracking open fresh innovations, for example, while spurring new companies, departments, and skills. Decades-old tech firms anchor lists of the world’s most valuable firms, while new startups emerge as if from thin air around the clock.
There appears no lack of need for tech talent within the foreseeable future.
Below, we highlight a few of the many firms who this year expressed intent to expand their Canadian tech talent workforces in 2025.
Toronto’s Wealthsimple Expands Geography and Team
Toronto-based Wealthsimple recently announced a major hiring expansion in Alberta, tapping into the province’s deep pool of talent as it continues its rapid growth.
The fintech giant, which already doubled its Alberta workforce in the past year, plans to triple the number of full-time employees in the region by the end of 2025.
This expansion will bring Wealthsimple’s Alberta-based workforce to 105 employees, accounting for approximately 10% of the company’s total workforce.
Alberta is home to the youngest population of any Canadian province and boasts the highest average income in the country. Wealthsimple counts over 400,000 Albertans as users of the platform, which features frequent updates.
The government of Alberta and Invest Alberta have both expressed support for Wealthsimple’s ongoing investment in the province.
Surrey’s Safe Software Seeks the Skilled
Headquartered in Surrey, Safe provides solutions that empower people and enterprises to unlock the full potential of their information, especially geo-spatial data. The BC firm’s flagship product is the Feature Manipulation Engine, or FME. With FME’s tools, users can process and convert data, creating workflows that extend the reach of data integration.
In 2024, headcount has increased by 20% to 300. But that’s just the beginning for Safe’s future. Moving forward, CEO Don Murray’s focus is on further growth.
Safe Software plans to boost its headcount by more than 30% through the next fiscal year, according to an official statement from the company, which promises workers a suite of traditional benefits on top of what Murray describes as a “generous” profit share policy: 20% of the firm’s profits are distributed to employees.
With annual recurring revenue growing fast enough to see Safe on track for $250M by 2028, the company is seeking top-tier tech talent to take things to the next level.
“We’re just getting started,” Murray said in October, “and I can’t wait to see where this new fiscal year takes us.”
Amazon Tech Hubs Grow in Canada
Amazon’s year-end report shows that the company now employs more than 46,000 people across the country.
That figure includes over 8,000 technology roles, which are spread primarily across Amazon’s two growing Canadian tech hubs—Vancouver and Toronto—as well as a smattering at the company’s robotics operations in Alberta.
The Vancouver hub houses 4,500 employees, while the Toronto hub employs 3,500, according to Amazon’s report. Within these tech hubs is an array of tech-forward departments, from Amazon Web Services and Amazon Ads to Alexa and Prime Video.
Over $50 billion has now been invested by Amazon into Canada since 2010, including infrastructure and compensation to employees.
Ottawa’s Shopify Ramps Up Tech Talent Pipeline
The e-commerce pioneer, now the second-largest public company in the country, is poised to hire 1,000 engineering interns next year.
Open to everyone, Shopify Engineering Internships require three days of work per week for four months at company offices in Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal.
“You’ll learn a lot,” promises Shopify vice Head of Engineering Farhan Thawar.
Set Sail for Strategic Innovation in the Semiconductor Sector
The global semiconductor market is expected to expand from US$500 billion in 2020 to US$695 billion by 2025 and Canada is seeking to position itself as a global supplier of semiconductors, which it considers crucial for security, economy, and technological progress.
Canada this summer announced an investment of $120 million in a $220 million project led by CMC Microsystems, a Canadian nonprofit organization established in 1984 to accelerate research and innovation in advanced technologies.
The investment, made through the Strategic Innovation Fund, will support the creation of a pan-Canadian network bringing together stakeholders from a range of fields to support the design, manufacturing, and commercialization of semiconductors.
Specifically, CMC will support the creation of the Fabrication of Integrated Components for the Internet’s Edge network—or FABrIC—which will operate alongside CMC’s partners across Canada.
Starting in 2025, the FABrIC network is forecast to create more than 300 highly skilled jobs across Canada plus other non-technical roles.
