Vacancies may seem like a cost-saving measure. But across Canada, hesitation in hiring is quietly draining businesses of revenue, morale, and long-term competitiveness.
The Hidden Cost of Inaction in Hiring
Since early 2025, many employers in Canada have quietly put strategic hiring on hold – not for lack of need, but because of wave after wave of uncertainty.
First it was the possibility of a Trump re-election. Then the looming federal election at home. Then U.S. tariffs. Then immigration policy. Then inflation. Then interest rates. Then “quiet quitting.” Then, and always, AI.
And now?
Many organizations have stopped making intentional workforce decisions altogether and waiting for uncertainty to subside.
But here’s the truth: VUCA isn’t going anywhere. Volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity are no longer the exception. They’re the operating system of business today.
If we wait for perfect conditions to act, we’ll never move. And while we hesitate, roles stay vacant, teams lose momentum, talent walks out the door, and we quietly contribute to the very economic slowdown we’re trying to avoid.
$13B to $54B Lost: The Canadian Data You Can’t Ignore
Recent research reveals just how much is at stake when key roles go unfilled:
- $13 billion: Labour shortages cost Canadian manufacturers $13B in lost contracts and delayed investment in 2022 (CME).
- $38 billion: SMEs across Canada lost $38B in revenue due to staffing shortages, according to the CFIB.
- $54 billion: Brampton Board of Trade reported a $54B annual GDP loss due to skill gaps and hiring delays.
- $10 billion/year: IT sector talent shortages are costing Canada $10B annually in unrealized economic growth (Conference Board of Canada).
Vacancies aren’t just HR issues. Vacancies are missed revenue, missed deadlines and missed opportunities.
Job Vacancies Are Stalling Canada’s Productivity
Canada’s job vacancy rate may have dropped to its lowest point since 2017, but unfilled roles are still costing businesses dearly. In May 2025, Statistics Canada reported 478,200 open positions. This is an improvement from previous years, yet still a significant drag on momentum.
The real issue isn’t just headcount. It’s time. Nearly one in three vacancies (31%) remain unfilled for 90 days or longer, creating operational bottlenecks and delaying revenue-generating work. Every day a position stays vacant, strategic initiatives sit idle, and groundbreaking ideas remain stuck on the whiteboard.
These costs don’t show up on a balance sheet, but they’re real: overworked teams, fatigued hiring managers, and reputational damage from posting the same role repeatedly. According to recent analysis, each unfilled position can cost an employer about CA$4,129 over an average 42-day vacancy period, and for revenue-critical roles, losses can climb to CA$7,000–10,000 per month.
The takeaway? Pent-up demand for the perfect hire is stalling productivity. Stop waiting for the “perfect” hire. Consider candidates with cultural alignment and transferable skills, then invest in training. Broaden your reach through flexible roles, remote options, or job sharing.
With nearly half a million jobs on hold, agility in hiring isn’t optional, it’s the competitive advantage Canada needs.
Turnover Isn’t Just a People Problem; It’s a Profit Problem
Many companies delay hiring after a resignation, trying to stretch their teams or wait for “the right time.” But the true cost of turnover in Canada is steep:
- 10–30% of annual salary to replace an employee.
- When productivity loss is included, the cost rises to 1.5–3× the salary.
- A single $60,000 role could cost $90K to $180K to replace, retrain, and reintegrate.
When businesses don’t rehire — or delay too long — they absorb these costs quietly and repeatedly.
Strategic Hiring ≠ Fast Hiring
To be clear: this blog doesn’t recommend hiring aggressively. It recommends hiring strategically.
Strategic recruitment means:
- Filling roles tied to future growth and productivity
- Avoiding burnout among existing staff
- Maintaining momentum, morale, and brand credibility
- Demonstrating disciplined foresight and investment in people
- Living up to the commitments you’ve made to your customers (quality, expediency and brand trust)
“Delaying hiring does not solve near term challenges; it compounds them financially and culturally. Every unfilled role is a missed opportunity to serve customers, a signal to your best people that growth is on hold, and a drag on productivity that rarely shows up on a balance sheet until it is too late. Leadership is not about waiting for calm waters. It is about steering through the storm with intention. Strategic hiring is one of the most powerful ways to do that.”
Craig Brown, CEO, Agilus Work Solutions
What Great by Choice Teaches Us
Jim Collins’ Great by Choice reminds us that companies that succeed in uncertainty follow three principles:
- Fanatic Discipline
- Empirical Creativity
- Productive Paranoia
Inaction in hiring is the opposite of all three. It’s not discipline — it’s drift. And drift leads to disengagement, not greatness.
Final Thought
If your company is waiting for “the perfect time” to hire, consider this:
The most expensive hire may be the one you didn’t make when you needed it most.
Thoughtful hiring isn’t about growing fast. It’s about growing well. Every vacancy sends a signal to your top performers, your clients, and your future. Interested in speaking to one of our knowledgeable account managers about what strategic hiring can do for you and your organization?
About Agilus Work Solutions
Agilus is a Canadian-owned, full-service recruitment firm with 50 years of experience, an ISO®-certified hiring process, and a deep talent network. We connect employers with specialized talent in engineering, technology, life sciences, office professional roles, public sector, and light industrial staffing—delivering the expertise you need to fuel productivity, innovation, and growth.
We’re experts in specialized talent, built for how you work. Ready to leverage strategic hiring for your business? Follow us on LinkedIn or contact us now.
Stay tuned next week for our follow-up blog:
“The Hidden Cost of Job Huggers: When Inaction Rewards Stagnation Over Strength”
We’ll explore how hesitation in hiring and promotions may be creating a culture where safety is rewarded over strength and performance and what leaders can do about it.