Canada Auto Employment Falls 0.8% to 578,900 as Parts Jobs Drop 8.7%

2 articles · Updated · Canadian auto dealer · May 28

578,900 Canadians worked in the automotive sector in February, down 0.8% from a year earlier and extending softness that had already appeared at the end of 2025.
6,200 jobs disappeared in motor vehicle parts and accessories manufacturing, where employment fell 8.7% year over year—the steepest decline among major auto segments.
123,100 repair and maintenance jobs marked a 1.9% increase, while motor vehicle manufacturing rose 1.4% and dealer employment—the sector's largest category—edged up 0.3% to 158,200.
DesRosiers Automotive Consultants tied the broader pullback to supply-chain strain, shifting consumer demand, trade worries and wider political uncertainty across North America's auto industry.
That mix suggests retail operations remain relatively resilient for now, but prolonged weakness in parts production could later pressure vehicle supply, pricing and consumer confidence.

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