This week, two major cities in British Columbia made headlines in LinkedIn news as having the highest demand for remote work. That is, both Victoria’s and Kelowna’s populations, it seems, can’t get enough of working from home. Torontonians, on the other hand, were less likely to apply for an entirely remote position. So, why are some populations taking certain stances over others? And where would you best fit in with your preference for work models?
Let’s explore how certain cities nation-wide are comparing in terms of their population’s demands for work and what cities might be best suited for you to work in.
The Top 5 Canadian Cities Applying for Remote Work
Not to be confused with lists ranking the best cities for remote work based on living wages and culture, these cities have the highest demand for fully remote work. This data is based on the findings of over 12 million job applications on LinkedIn from May 2022 to 2023.
And as opposed to the aforementioned list, this list is particularly important for employers and recruiters to see what the demand will be in that area. As well, this list can be crucial for those looking for like-minded colleagues and employers when it comes to work models.
Without further ado, here are the top 5 Canadian cities with the highest demand for fully remote work as of August 2023.
1. Kelowna, BC
2. Moncton, NB
3. Victoria, BC
4. Saskatoon, SK
5. Halifax, NS
With nearly half (49.4%) of its job applicants looking for entirely remote work, Kelowna’s population took the lead in this survey. Following closely behind, however, were Moncton and Victoria, the latter of which combined with Kelowna gathered at least 100,000 LinkedIn members seeking out fully remote positions.
In addition to the above, other cities with notably high demands for remote work include Winnipeg, Manitoba (40.6% of its applicants), Ottawa, Ontario (40.5%), and St. John’s, Newfoundland (38.7%).
And, according to workers interviewed in the article sharing LinkedIn’s findings, COVID-19 seems to have opened many industries up to remote opportunities. One worker even admitted to hearing that Kelowna is being called a “Zoom town.”
Perhaps this is due to its striking nature and mild weather encouraging more outdoor work opportunities and more time being close to nature as opposed to in traffic.
The Top 5 Canadian Cities Applying for Hybrid Work
On the other end of the hybrid working model, the following cities saw the largest demand for hybrid work positions. That is, these cities were less likely to apply to entirely remote positions, but rather, for positions that involved a combination of remote and in-office work.
1. Toronto, ON
2. Montreal, QC
3. Quebec City, QC
4. Oshawa, ON
5. Hamilton, ON
Toronto, especially took the lead, the article suggests, as a result of major employers (including TD Bank and the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)) offering hybrid work models. But notably, not all Torontonians are in favour of more opportunities to head to the office; there may, in fact, simply be more postings for hybrid work than there are for those that are fully remote.
A recent report from Colliers Real Estate Management Services showed that the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) had the lowest rates of workers returning to the office. And rates in Toronto proper were not much higher. To combat this, then, the report suggested a formula that employers may take to encourage more in-person work days, which included “mandated” in-office work days.
Perhaps, then, hybrid offers are merely the next best thing to going in-office 5 days a week. So, if you’re looking for more fully remote positions, depending on what’s on offer in your area, a move to the west coast might be in your favour!
Were you included in any of the above calculations from LinkedIn’s survey of remote and hybrid work applications between May 2022 and 2023? Let us know by leaving a comment on our post for this blog here.
