2026 Canada Job Market Trends Impacting Creative and Marketing Jobs
Top marketing and creative job market trends
There continues to be a demand for skilled candidates in the marketing and creative industries across Canada. Leaders are focused on keeping campaigns moving forward and strengthening brand strategies in 2026, all while trying to adapt to rapidly changing market conditions. According to the latest Robert Half Canada Demand for Skilled Talent Report, 73 per cent of marketing and creative hiring managers plan to increase headcount in 2026 – with only 2 per cent of leaders citing they have the necessary headcount and skills already on their teams to accomplish targets this year.
With focused goals driving marketing and creative teams this year, companies will need to reevaluate and be strategic about their team’s talent. Skills gaps on teams will have a significant impact on the marketing and creative job market trends across Canada. More than half (59 per cent) of marketing and creative leaders surveyed say upskilling current employees is needed to meet their targets for the year. Teams are seeing the most evident skill gaps in the following areas:
SEO and paid search marketing (23 per cent)
AI and ML applications (22 per cent)
Marketing automation (22 per cent)
In the era of AI in the workplace, employers are seeking not only technical skills but also strong soft skills when hiring for their marketing and creative teams. 60 per cent of marketing leaders surveyed in the Demand for Skilled Talent Report, say critical thinking and problem solving is the top soft skill to complement AI, with 59 per cent citing adaptability and continuous learning. Other soft skills leaders noted to compliment AI were:
Creativity and innovation (56 per cent)
Communication (42 per cent)
Emotional intelligence (31 per cent)
Explore the full Demand for Skilled Talent report today
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Explore our latest Demand for Skilled Talent Report to see what skills and roles companies need most.
Hiring plans for marketing managers
What are Canadian marketing and creative managers hiring for? Hiring managers for marketing and creative teams in Canada have indicated their plans for the first half of 2026:
73 per cent are planning to increase hiring
69 per cent are planning to increase contract hiring
56 per cent say hiring skilled talent is more difficult today compared to one year ago
Strategic priorities for companies in 2026
During the first half of 2026, marketing and creative leaders in Canada will be primarily focused on the below strategic priorities:
AI and ML integration into marketing and creative workflows
Marketing analytics and performance
Social media and influencer marketing strategy
Brand and visual identity strategy
Customer experience and personalization
Top trending skills for creatives and marketing professionals
An analysis of Robert Half research and data found these are some of the most in-demand skills for creative and marketing jobs:
AI powered marketing
Customer experience
Data visualization
GA4 (Google Analytics 4)
For the full list of skills and insights, read the full Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half.
Marketing and creative job market in Canada: FAQs
1. Are employers increasingly hiring contract and remote/hybrid marketing and creative professionals in 2026?
Yes. Canadian marketing and creative leaders are leaning into contract talent to meet project deadlines and access specialized skills—69% say they’re planning to increase their use of contract professionals in the first half of 2026. Lower-than-national average unemployment rates in the field and persistent skills gaps in areas like marketing automation, UX research and design, product/visual design, and marketing analytics are driving this strategy. Hybrid work remains an important attraction and retention lever as teams balance AI adoption with the need for authentic, human-centered brand experiences.
For insights into the latest employment numbers across Canada, including the marketing and creative job market, check out our Labour Market Overview page, which is updated monthly.
2. What strategies should hiring managers use to attract marketing and creative talent in Canada?
To succeed in the evolving Canada job market, hiring managers should consider these best practices:
Offer above-average compensation and hire quickly when you find skilled talent; competition is high and 56 per cent of leaders say it’s challenging to find the talent they need today compared to a year ago.
Lean on contract staffing to cover project-based needs and specialized work, aligning capacity with campaign timelines.
Emphasize flexibility and skills development, as teams scale AI and automation while maintaining brand authenticity and human connection.
3. What are the average salaries for marketing and creative jobs in Canada?
For the latest salaries across roles —such as digital marketing manager, graphic designer, product designer, social media manager, and UX designer—consult the marketing and creative section of the 2026 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half. You can also use the Salary Calculator to find salaries local to you in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, or other city.
About the Demand for Skilled Talent report
Access Report
The Demand for Skilled Talent report by Robert Half is an authoritative source providing essential insights into 2026’s employment trends. This report has offered a deep dive into Canada’s hiring landscape for over a decade, spotlighting challenges and strategies to attract and retain talent in today’s job market. It explores what employees seek in their careers, identifies common recruitment errors and suggests solutions. The report spans sectors like finance and accounting, technology, marketing, legal, administrative and customer support and human resources, proving crucial for business leaders and managers.
Data methodology
The surveys cited were developed by Robert Half and conducted by an independent research firm. Results may not total 100% due to rounding or allowing for multiple responses. Respondents included executives, hiring managers and workers from small (10-99 employees), midsize (100-999 employees) and large (1,000+ employees) businesses in private, publicly listed and public sector organizations across Canada.
Positions are categorized into 365+ job titles within Robert Half’s Salary Guide using a proprietary mapping methodology that employs state-of-the-art large language models. This dataset includes roles across the finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support and human resources professions.
