New Report Shows High Job Demand but Fewer Workers in Canmore and Banff

Bow Valley employers entered the 2025 summer season facing a tighter labour market, according to new data showing job postings rising 12% between May and October. At the same time, fewer international workers were available, rental prices remained high, and posted wages slipped slightly compared with last year. These findings come from the Job Resource Centre’s Fall 2025 Labour Market Review, which tracks things like employer demand, job seeker activity, and wage trends across Banff and Canmore.

The six months covered in the report reflect a summer with strong tourism, where hotels, restaurants, and attractions were consistently busy. That activity created steady demand for workers throughout the region. It also made it harder for employers to fill positions. Many businesses started hiring earlier than usual, widened the range of applicants they considered, and tried a variety of approaches to keep staff through the season.

Job Postings Rise While Applicant Pools Shift

Between May and October, employers in the Bow Valley submitted 1,760 job orders from 422 separate employers, which shows that demand was spread across many businesses, especially in hospitality, food service, housekeeping, and trades.

According to the Job Resource Centre, the category with the largest increase in postings year over year was the “miscellaneous” category, which rose 155%. This category includes roles such as lifeguards, aquatic invasive species technicians, and sports, music, or language instructors. Hotel Guest Services and Hospitality also saw a significant rise, increasing 51% over last year.

Food and beverage jobs were among the most advertised. Front-of-house roles, such as serving and hosting, had 275 postings, up from 234 the year before. Back-of-house roles, like cooking and dishwashing, held steady at 242 postings. Housekeeping had 119 postings, slightly above last year. Trades and labour roles remained the single largest category at more than 20% of all postings, although the number of ads in that category dipped slightly compared with last year.

Job seeker activity rose and fell throughout the season. Fewer people were looking for work in mid-summer, but interest increased again in the fall. According to the report, this pattern likely reflects normal seasonal movement rather than a major shift in the size of the labour pool. Employers adjusted by beginning their recruitment earlier, with some already planning staffing for 2026 while still in the middle of the 2025 season.

Fewer International Workers Tighten Labour Supply

One of the clearest changes in the report involves the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Adjustments to the program resulted in fewer international workers coming into Canada during the 2025 season. Shorter approval periods, stronger compliance rules, and an overall drop in arrivals reduced the number of workers available to Bow Valley employers. For many years, this has been a key source of labour in Banff and Canmore, especially during busy tourism months.

With fewer international applicants, employers shifted their attention to workers already in Canada. The report notes more employers considering youth, older workers, and people from groups that have traditionally been underrepresented in the local workforce. Some employers made use of the Francophone Mobility Visa, which allows them to hire bilingual international applicants under specific conditions.

The report does not specify how many positions these groups filled, but it does show that employers broadened their hiring strategies to reach more types of applicants.

Wages Dip Slightly as Housing Pressures Remain High

Although job demand increased, the average advertised wage dipped slightly from $22.61 per hour in 2024 to $22.15 in the 2025 period. This happened even as employers said that keeping employees was becoming more important. Many businesses offered more flexible scheduling or additional training opportunities to help with retention.

Housing remained one of the biggest barriers for both employers and workers. The report lists the average rent for a three-bedroom unit at $4,152 in Canmore and $4,275 in Banff. One-bedroom units ranged from $2,079 to $2,381. These prices continued to limit who could afford to work in the Bow Valley. Some employers explored shared accommodation for staff or flexible work arrangements as temporary ways to keep positions filled.

Even with early hiring, retaining staff through the full season was difficult. Limited long-term housing options and strong competition for workers during peak periods led to turnover in many workplaces.

Looking Toward 2026

The Labour Market Review suggests that housing affordability, changes in international worker availability, and strong competition for workers will likely remain central challenges in the coming year. The region appears to be moving toward a model that relies more on local hiring, more inclusive recruitment practices, and practical measures that make staffing more stable from one season to the next.