Entry Jobs Falling, Manufacturing Growing, Average Merit Pay, Alberta as Aerospace Hub

In this episode: state of labour market and entry-level jobs, how to make meetings better for neurodivergent employees, average pay increases across Canada and other topics.

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Contact: Elena Bobyreva, MBA, CPHR https://stellarcareerguide.com/ and Elena Bobyreva, MBA, CPHR | LinkedIn

1. The labour market’s weak trend continued in April 2026, with employment falling slightly for the third time in four months | April 2026 Labour Force Survey: Stuck in Neutral - Indeed Hiring Lab Canada 
2. Entry-level jobs in Canada are becoming harder to access due to rising skill expectations, automation, and fewer true beginner role | New Express White Paper: Canada’s Shrinking Entry-Level Job Market Raises Long-Term Economic Concerns | EEP CA Corporate 
3. Statistics Canada reports that Canada’s manufacturing sector strengthened in March 2026, with sales rising 3.0% to $73.6 billion | The Daily — Monthly Survey of Manufacturing, March 2026 
4. The Bank of Canada says it is not yet seeing widespread job losses from artificial intelligence | Bank of Canada expects limited job losses from AI 
5. Autistic adults and workplace experts say small, intentional changes can make meetings far more accessible for neurodivergent employees | Simple ways to make meetings work better for employees on the autism spectrum | The Associated Press 
6. Mercer survey of more than 270 Canadian employers found that merit pay increases averaged 3% for employees, with total salary increases reaching 3.3% | Survey finds average pay increases for Canadian employees reach 3.3%, driven by performance | Benefits Canada.com 
7. Alberta is positioning itself as a hub for Canada’s aerospace industry with the official groundbreaking of De Havilland Field | Aircraft manufacturing hub breaks ground in Alberta | alberta.ca