Contract Workers Becoming Essential to Canadian Businesses, New Survey Finds

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Contract work is moving to the forefront of workforce planning, with half of Canadian companies (50%) building contract workers into their staffing strategies ...

TORONTO, Nov. 11, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Contract work is moving to the forefront of workforce planning, with half of Canadian companies (50%) building contract workers into their staffing strategies and 72% of hiring managers likely to hire them in the future, according to a recent survey from Express Employment Professionals and The Harris Poll.

The shift builds on widespread adoption, as 69% of hiring managers say their company has employed contract workers, including 38% that currently do. Hiring managers estimate that contract workers complete an average of 10% of the work at Canadian companies.

Hiring intentions have remained steady over the past two years. Close to one-quarter of hiring managers (22%) planned to hire temporary or contract workers in the fall of 2026, similar to both fall of 2025 and 2024.

For many employers, the role of contract workers is already expanding, as 23% of hiring managers whose companies have used them say their organizations rely on this talent more than they did three years ago. Their value becomes even clearer when conditions change, with 71% of these hiring managers calling contract workers critical to their company’s ability to respond to uncertainty.

Close to three-quarters of hiring managers (73%) also believe hiring contract workers signals agility and smart leadership.

Employers most often value contract workers for the ability to bring them in as needed (48%), ease heavy workloads (41%) and cover responsibilities while employees are on leave (34%). Their contributions can also go beyond filling staffing gaps, with 80% of hiring managers whose companies have used contract workers saying there have been times when this talent outperformed full-time employees.

More than half of Canadian job seekers (55%) have worked as contractors, and 65% of those not currently in a contract role express at least some interest in one.

Interestingly, boomers are most open to future contract opportunities.

Much of the appeal comes from the…

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