Canadian Occupational Projection System (COPS)
Search for Occupational Projection Summaries (2026-2035)
**UPDATE NOTICE**: The COPS team is currently updating the 2026-2035. Results have been published progressively since October 30th, 2026 and will continue to be released as they become available.
Here is how COPS identifies occupations in shortage or surplus
The process consists of 3 steps.
Step 1: Recent labour market conditions (2023-2025):
COPS assesses the initial labour market conditions (shortage or surplus) for 459 of the 516 NOC existing occupations over the 2023-2025 period. The methodology relies on the analysis of about 30 labour market indicators (e.g. unemployment rate, employment growth, job vacancies growth and duration, proportion of overtime workers and Employment insurance (EI) recipients, etc.). Imbalances (shortages or surplus) are identified when indicators diverge significantly from the average for all occupations and/or their own historical norms.
Step 2: Projected flows of job openings and job seekers (2026-2035):
COPS projects the flows of new job openings (labour demand from job creation and replacement needs due to retirements, in-service deaths, or emigration) and new job seekers (labour market entrants from the school system, new immigrants, re-entrants into the labour market, and workers switching occupation) over the projection period.
Step 3: Future labour market conditions (by 2035)
Future labour market conditions are determined by combining Step 1 (recent labour market conditions) and Step 2 (projected flows of job seekers and job openings). Step 1 is used as a starting point, and Step 2 is used to assess whether the conditions identified in Step 1 will persist through or change during the projection period.
Search Result : Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical) (64101)
- Occupational Outlook
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BALANCE: At the national level, labour demand and labour supply for this occupation are expected to remain broadly in line over the 2026–2035 period.
This occupation showed signs of balance conditions in recent years, and the projected net flows of job openings and job seekers are expected to be similar over the period 2026-2035. As a result, labour market conditions are expected to remain balanced over the projection period.
- Broad occupational categories
- Sales and service occupations, except management
- Training, Education, Experience and Responsibilities (TEER)
- TEER 4: Occupations usually require a secondary school diploma; or several weeks of on-the-job training
- Employment in 2025
- 219,600
- Percentage of workers aged 50 and over in 2025
- 41 %
- Estimated Median Age of Retirement in 2025
- 66 years old
Step 1: Recent labour market conditions (2023–2025)
The occupation showed signs of balanced labour market conditions in recent years. Indeed, the analysis of key labour market indicators, including job vacancies, employment growth, and the unemployment rate suggests that labour supply was sufficient to meet the labour demand in this occupation over the 2023–2025 period.
Step 2: Projected flows of job openings and job seekers (2026–2035)
COPS projects the net flows of job openings (labour demand from job creation and replacement needs due to retirements, in-service deaths, and emigration) and job seekers (labour market entrants from the school system, immigrants, re-entrants into the labour market, and workers switching occupation) over the projection period.
- Job creation (employment growth) is expected to account for approximately 2.0% of job openings, a lower proportion than the average for all occupations (around 23% of job openings).
- Annual employment growth (0.1%) is expected to be below the national average (0.8%).
- Sales and account representatives - wholesale trade (non-technical) work mainly in Wholesale Trade (60%), an industry whose employment is expected to increase at an annual rate of 0.2% over the period.
- Replacement demand (retirements, in-service deaths, and emigration) is expected to account for about 98.0% of job openings.
- Most of the replacement needs are due to retirements (approximately 79.3%), a proportion comparable to the national average (around 76%).
- Workers in this occupation tend to retire at an age similar to the average age, but they are more likely to be aged 50 and over, resulting in a higher retirement rate (2.7%) than the average for all occupations (2.1%).
- School leavers are expected to be the main source of job seekers, accounting for approximately 72.9% of job seekers; however, this proportion will be lower than the average for all occupations (around 80% of seekers).
- New immigrants are expected to represent approximately 20.4% of job seekers, compared to around 29% for all occupations.
- Finally, mobility is expected to be slightly positive for this occupation as the number of workers entering from other occupations exceeds the number of workers leaving the occupation.
Projected job openings (2026–2035)
| Employment 2025 | Employment growth | Retirements | Emigration and in-service deaths | Total job openings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 219,600 | 1,500 (0.7%)* | 58,200 (26.5%)* | 15,200 (6.9%)* | 75,000 (34.2%)* |
* Percentages are expressed as a share of 2025 employment.
Over the period 2026–2035, a number of net 75,000 job openings is projected, resulting from both job creation and replacement demand, representing an annual average of about 3.4% of its 2025 employment level.
Projected job seekers (2026–2035)
| Employment 2025 | School Leavers | New immigrants | Net occupational mobility and others | Total job seekers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 219,600 | 44,300 (20.2%)* | 12,400 (5.6%)* | 4,100 (1.9%)* | 60,800 (27.7%)* |
* Percentages are expressed as a share of 2025 employment.
Over the period 2026-2035, the number of net job seekers is expected to total approximately 60,800, representing an annual average of about 2.8% of the 2025 employment level.
Step 3: Future labour market conditions (by 2035)
This occupation showed signs of balance conditions in recent years (Step 1), and the projected net flows of job openings and job seekers are expected to be similar over the period 2026-2035 (Step 2). As a result, labour market conditions are expected to remain balanced over the projection period (Step 3).