People in Ontario are least happy about their jobs out of all of Canada

Those of us with secure jobs in Ontario should feel pretty fortunate given how bad unemployment levels have gotten — especially in cities like Windsor and Toronto — but it seems that, along with a rising rate of joblessness, the province is also home to some of the most miserable workers.

Canadian HR services firm ADP regularly examines how satisfied Canadians across the country are with their work lives with a monthly index, and the most recent figures show that workplace happiness is on the decline in Ontario, which is now tied with Atlantic Canada for last place.

As the company headlined a recent release, "Ontario has just been named the least happy province to work in, plunging to the bottom of the national list with a score of just 6.7/10 in June 2025."

Factors assessed include, alongside the primary indicator of how one would rank their overall enjoyment of their vocation, things like compensation and benefits, work-life balance and flexibility, recognition and support in the workplace, and opportunities for career advancement.

Nationwide, about 47 per cent of people now say they consider themselves fulfilled in their professional roles. Taking into account all the above-mentioned primary and secondary indicators, the Canadian average for workplace happiness falls around 6.8/10.

Though this number isn't that much higher than Ontario's specifically, provinces like Saskatchewan/Manitoba and Alberta scored better, at 7/10 and 6.9/10, respectively, with both figures representing an increase from this time last year (Ontario, meanwhile, saw a 0.1 point decrease year-over-year).

List from ADP's Canada Happiness@Work Index for June 2025.

The results are based on a poll surveying 1,200 randomly selected staffers across age and industry.

Predictably, those in the Boomer generation (61+) are far more content with their employment than most, with a score of 7.3/10 (though this is 0.2 points lower than June 2024). Gen X is the most despondent of any working age group, with a score of 6.6/10 in this latest index.

Ways that participants said their employers could improve workplace satisfaction range from permitting more flexible hours and encouraging vacation to fostering positive workplace relationships.