Statistics Canada's October 28 study finds that 69% of adults aged 25 to 34 with a bachelor's degree or higher held permanent, full-time jobs in 2025, compared with 71% in 2022. The rate remains above the pre-pandemic 2017–2019 average of 65%.
Young graduates face a cooler job market than in 2022
Statistics Canada released a study on October 28 examining how non-student Canadian adults aged 25 to 34 with university degrees are faring in the labour market. It found that 69% held permanent, full-time positions in 2025. The comparable figure peaked at 71% in 2022, when labour markets were particularly tight, but averaged 65% in the three years immediately before the pandemic. The data therefore show some easing from a recent high, not a collapse below earlier norms.
Wages still favour university graduates
The report records an average hourly wage of $39.18 for young university graduates in 2025. That compares with $34.71 among those with a trades certificate or diploma, $31.39 for college or CEGEP credentials, and $28.77 for people whose highest credential was high school. The figures describe averages across groups and should not be treated as a wage prediction for any individual graduate. Inflation-adjusted earnings growth for young university graduates has been modest in recent years.
Persistent employment and earnings gaps
Among university graduates aged 25 to 34, 72% of men and 66% of women held permanent full-time jobs in 2025. Statistics Canada also reported that women in this age and education group earned, on average, about 92 cents for each dollar earned by men. The study describes a narrower employment gap over time, but little overall movement in the earnings ratio. Graduates with young children can have different employment patterns, making aggregate comparisons important to interpret carefully.
What the figures can and cannot say
The study uses Labour Force Survey information to compare employment arrangements, wages and other indicators across years. It does not establish that degrees have lost their value or that any single factor caused the decline from the 2022 employment peak. It does provide fresh evidence for students, employers and policy makers considering Canada's changing entry-level and early-career labour market.
Sources & transparency
Statistics Canada — The Daily, study on young university graduates, October 28, 2026Original CDN News coverage. Sources are linked for reference.
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