Quick answer: staffing agencies in Canada hire for far more than warehouse work. In 2026 they are placing job seekers across warehousing and logistics, manufacturing and packaging, food and beverage, hospitality, events and entertainment, construction and skilled trades, healthcare support, cleaning and facilities, and administrative and customer-service roles. Most start at Ontario’s $17.60 minimum wage and many pay well beyond it, most need little or no experience, and because agencies keep a pre-screened pool, they can place you within days. It is free to join (the employer pays the agency, never you). Here are the nine kinds of jobs agencies hire for, what they pay, and how to get started.

When people think of staffing agencies they often picture warehouses, but that is a small slice of what agencies actually do. They supply workers to almost every industry that needs people quickly, from hospitals and hotels to construction sites, food plants, event venues and offices. Canada recorded 506,700 job vacancies in the first quarter of 2026, and a large share of those openings are filled through agencies because employers need reliable people fast.

For a job seeker, that breadth is the opportunity. Whatever your background or schedule, there is likely an agency assignment that fits, and a good first placement often converts to a permanent job. Below are nine sectors agencies hire for across the country, the kinds of roles in each, what they pay according to the Government of Canada Job Bank, and how to get started. If you want to know which roles simply never stop hiring, see our companion guide to the jobs that are always hiring in Canada.

What’s in This Guide

• How Do Staffing Agencies Actually Work?
• 9 Types of Jobs Staffing Agencies Hire for in Canada
• Which Certifications and Tickets Help You Get Hired?
• How Do You Get Hired Through a Staffing Agency?
• Staffing Agency Jobs at a Glance: Sectors, Roles and Pay
• The Bottom Line
• Common Questions From Job Seekers

How Do Staffing Agencies Actually Work?

They match ready workers to employers who need them now. An agency keeps a pool of screened, work-ready people and places them into roles as employers call for them. You register once, the agency verifies your documents and matches you to suitable openings, and you can be on a job within days. It is free to you: a legitimate Canadian agency never charges a worker a fee, because the client employer pays. Learn the details in our job seeker’s guide to staffing agencies, and how to spot a trustworthy one using the signs an agency is legit.

You can work the way that suits you. Agencies offer temporary and shift-based work for fast income and flexibility, temp-to-hire so you can try a job before committing, and direct permanent placement. That means an agency can be a quick source of a paycheque this week, a way to test an employer, or a route into a long-term career, depending on what you need. And because agencies work across so many industries, you are not locked into one type of job.

9 Types of Jobs Staffing Agencies Hire for in Canada

Each sector below lists the kinds of roles agencies fill, why they are hiring, what they typically pay per Job Bank, and how to get started. The pay figures are anchored to Ontario, where the minimum wage is $17.60 an hour in 2026; rates in other provinces vary, so check your own city on Job Bank.

1. Warehousing and Logistics

Roles and why they are hiring: Warehouse associate, material handler, order picker and packer, forklift operator and shipper-receiver. E-commerce keeps distribution centres busy all year and these roles turn over steadily, so they are the most common agency placements of all.

What you need: Employers expect basic English and numeracy and the physical fitness to lift and stand for a full shift. A WHMIS ticket and a forklift or reach-truck licence are the two credentials that move you up fastest, and neither takes more than a day or two to earn.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank puts material handler and warehouse pay at about $17.60 to $30 an hour. No experience is needed to begin, and adding a forklift licence quickly lifts your rate. See where these roles pay the most in our guide to the highest-paying warehouse jobs. Trimax staffs this sector heavily through its warehousing and logistics desk.

2. Manufacturing and Packaging

Roles and why they are hiring: Production line worker, assembler, machine operator, packager and quality-control helper. Factories run continuous shifts and staff up hard for seasonal peaks, so these roles reopen constantly, especially on evenings and nights.

What you need: Employers usually train you on the line, and a WHMIS ticket is commonly expected, and regulated lines (food, pharma, cosmetics) add good-manufacturing-practice (GMP) and hygiene training on site. What matters most is attention to detail, reliability and the stamina to keep pace on a fast line, often on evenings or nights.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank lists general manufacturing labourer pay at about $17.60 to $25 an hour, plus shift premiums. Employers train you on the line, so you can start with little or no experience and a short WHMIS ticket. It is a core Trimax sector through light manufacturing and packaging.

3. Food and Beverage

Roles and why they are hiring: Food production and processing worker, food-counter attendant, kitchen helper and packaging staff. Food production runs year-round to strict hygiene standards, and demand is steady because people always need to eat, which makes it some of the most recession-resistant work available.

What you need: Food safety is regulated. In Ontario every food premises must have a certified food handler on duty during operating hours (Regulation 493/17), so a Food Handler certificate (a short online course, valid five years) makes you far more hireable, and plants also expect WHMIS and hygiene training. Anyone serving alcohol in a restaurant or bar needs Smart Serve, which is mandatory in Ontario.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank puts food processing pay at roughly $17.60 to $26 an hour, with food-service counter roles starting at or above the minimum wage. No experience is needed; employers provide food-safety training on site, and reliable workers are quickly offered steady shifts.

4. Hospitality

Roles and why they are hiring: Hotel housekeeping and room attendant, banquet and event server, kitchen porter and front-of-house support. Hotels, resorts and catering companies run year-round and lean on agencies to cover peaks, weekends and seasonal surges.

What you need: Employers hire for reliability, a service mindset and often language skills, and housekeeping needs physical stamina. The one credential that matters most is Smart Serve, legally required in Ontario for anyone who serves, sells or handles alcohol, and a Food Handler certificate helps for banquet and kitchen roles.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank lists housekeeping room attendant pay at about $17.60 to $25 an hour, with tips on top in many front-of-house roles. Little or no experience is needed, shifts are flexible, and hospitality is a common first Canadian job that builds local references fast.

5. Events and Entertainment

Roles and why they are hiring: Event crew and setup, ushers and ticket takers, concessions and catering staff, and venue and festival support. This work is seasonal and spiky, so venues and event companies rely on agencies to supply large crews at short notice for a concert, game, conference or festival.

What you need: Most general event roles turn on reliability and the stamina for long shifts on your feet. Two credentials open more and better-paid work: Smart Serve for any bar or alcohol-service role, and an Ontario security guard licence (a 40-hour basic-training course plus first aid and a test) for crowd-control and venue-security shifts.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank puts leisure, recreation and event attendant pay at roughly $17.60 to $24 an hour, often with evening and weekend premiums. No experience is required, and the flexible, shift-by-shift nature makes it ideal work to fit around studies or another job, while getting you into venues and building a network.

6. Construction and Skilled Trades

Roles and why they are hiring: General construction labourer, site helper, and support to certified trades, plus placements for qualified tradespeople. Canada’s push to build more housing and infrastructure keeps sites short of hands, and agencies supply both labourers and skilled workers.

What you need: Construction is safety-regulated. Expect WHMIS and, in Ontario, mandatory Working at Heights training (a CPO-approved course, valid three years) for anyone who may use fall protection, plus CSA-approved steel-toe boots. Certified trades roles additionally require an apprenticeship or Red Seal, and first aid is widely valued on site.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank lists construction labourer and helper pay at about $18.25 to $40 an hour, among the highest entry ranges on this list. A labouring role needs no experience and is a proven way onto a site, and it can be a first step toward an apprenticeship. Trimax places skilled and construction trades workers with credentials verified before day one.

7. Healthcare Support

Roles and why they are hiring: Personal support worker, healthcare aide and orderly, plus administrative and support roles in clinics, long-term care and home care. An ageing population makes health care one of the busiest hiring areas in the country, and agencies help fill it.

What you need: Frontline care roles are the most credentialed on this list. A personal support worker or health-care aide position usually needs a recognised PSW certificate (typically six to eight months of college or private-career-college training), current CPR and First Aid, up-to-date immunisations, and a vulnerable-sector police check. Administrative and support roles in clinics and care homes can often start without the PSW certificate.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank puts nurse aide, orderly and patient-service pay at roughly $17.60 to $30 an hour. Frontline care roles usually need a short certificate and a vulnerable-sector check, while support roles can start sooner. Because demand is driven by long-term demographics, it is some of the steadiest work available, placed through Trimax healthcare support.

8. Cleaning and Facilities

Roles and why they are hiring: Light-duty and industrial cleaner, sanitation worker, janitor and facilities support. Every office, plant, hospital and hotel needs cleaning, it never stops, and sanitation roles in food and healthcare settings are especially in demand.

What you need: Because cleaners handle chemicals, a WHMIS ticket is commonly expected, and specialised sanitation in food or healthcare settings adds hygiene and infection-control training. Employers hire for reliability, thoroughness and the stamina for physical, sometimes overnight, work.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank lists light-duty cleaner pay at about $17.60 to $26 an hour, with higher rates for industrial and overnight sanitation. No experience is needed to start, and the flexible day, evening and weekend shifts make it easy to build a steady income around other commitments.

9. Administrative and Customer Service

Roles and why they are hiring: Receptionist, data entry and office clerk, call-centre and customer-service representative, and administrative support. Companies use agencies to cover leave, project peaks and seasonal demand, so office and customer-service temp roles are consistently available.

What you need: Usually a high-school diploma, comfort with common office software (word processing, spreadsheets and email), a reasonable typing speed, and clear written and spoken communication. Some roles ask for bookkeeping, data-entry accuracy or experience with a specific CRM or phone system. These are skills you can show on a short resume or a quick test, so they suit people who prefer office-based work.

Pay and how to start: Job Bank puts customer-service representative pay at about $17.60 to $32.69 an hour, rising with responsibility and specialised skills. Basic computer comfort and clear communication are what get you hired, and these roles are a strong route for people who prefer office-based work. Agencies also place higher-skilled office, finance and technical staff, covered below.

Which Certifications and Tickets Help You Get Hired?

A short, inexpensive certificate often decides who gets the shift and at what rate. These are the tickets that come up most across the sectors above. Requirements vary by province, so the examples below are drawn mainly from Ontario; always confirm what your province and employer require.

Sources: Government of Canada WHMIS, Ontario Ministry of Labour (Working at Heights), Ontario Regulation 493/17 (food premises), Smart Serve Ontario, the Ontario security guard basic-training standard, and the Canadian Red Cross. Rules and validity periods vary by province.

How Do You Get Hired Through a Staffing Agency?

Register, get ready, and be available. Because agencies place from a ready pool, the people who get picked are the ones who are prepared. Five steps get you working faster, and none require experience:

• 1. Register with a reputable agency. It is free to you and the fastest route into most of the sectors above. Choose one that is licensed and transparent; use the signs an agency is legit to check.
• 2. Get your SIN and documents ready. You cannot be paid without a Social Insurance Number, so have your ID, work authorisation and any certificates in hand. It lets an employer start you immediately.
• 3. Earn one quick certification. A forklift licence, WHMIS, food-safety or first aid can be done in hours to days and opens more and better-paid assignments across sectors.
• 4. Keep a clean, one-page resume. Lead with reliability and any tickets you hold, and mirror the words in the job posting so it clears applicant tracking software.
• 5. Say yes to a shift you can start now. Availability is leverage. Workers who can start this week, including evenings and weekends, get picked first and convert to permanent roles fastest.

Staffing Agency Jobs at a Glance: Sectors, Roles and Pay

Sources: Government of Canada Job Bank and Statistics Canada Job Vacancies (Q1 2026). Figures are anchored to Ontario, where the 2026 minimum wage is $17.60 an hour; the low end reflects that floor, and rates vary by province, employer and shift.

Want to get hired across any of these sectors? Trimax Employment, a Canadian staffing and workforce management company (Ontario THA licence THA-0000002854), places job seekers across warehousing and logistics, manufacturing and packaging, construction and skilled trades, healthcare support, food and hospitality, events, cleaning and facilities, and administrative and customer-service roles in major Canadian cities, often within days. It is free to join, every worker is verified through Trimax Verify, and many assignments convert to permanent for reliable workers. Fill out the contact form to join the Trimax talent pool.

The Bottom Line

Staffing agencies are one of the fastest, most flexible ways to find work in Canada, and they hire for far more than warehouses. Across warehousing and logistics, manufacturing, food and beverage, hospitality, events and entertainment, construction and trades, healthcare support, cleaning and facilities, and administrative and customer-service roles, there is almost always an assignment that fits your background and schedule. Most start at or above minimum wage, many pay well beyond it, and most need little or no experience. With 506,700 vacancies in early 2026, the openings are real. Register with a reputable agency, get your documents and one quick certification ready, and say yes to a shift you can start now. Do that and you can go from searching to earning in days, then build toward the role and pay you actually want. If you are new to Canada, agency work is also one of the surest ways to gain your first local experience and references, as covered in our guide for new immigrants.

Frequently Asked Questions

What kinds of jobs do staffing agencies hire for in Canada?

Far more than warehouse work. Agencies place people across warehousing and logistics, manufacturing and packaging, food and beverage, hospitality, events and entertainment, construction and skilled trades, healthcare support, cleaning and facilities, and administrative and customer-service roles, as well as higher-skilled engineering, IT and finance positions. Most entry roles need little or no experience.

Do staffing agencies charge workers to find a job?

No. In Canada, legitimate staffing agencies do not charge workers a fee to be placed; the client employer pays the agency. If anyone asks you to pay to get a job, treat it as a red flag. Registering with a reputable agency is free and can be one of the fastest ways to get hired across many sectors.

How fast can an agency get me a job?

Often within days. Agencies keep a pool of pre-screened workers and place them at short notice, so once you are registered and your documents are ready, a first shift can be days away. Have your SIN and ID ready, keep a clean one-page resume, and be open to a shift you can start now. See our guide to working with a staffing agency for the step-by-step.

Which sector pays the most?

Among entry-accessible sectors, construction and skilled trades has the highest range on this list, at about $18.25 to $40 an hour, and customer service and office roles reach into the low $30s with skills and responsibility. Earning a ticket like a forklift licence or first aid, and taking evening or night shifts, are the fastest ways to lift your pay in any sector.

Do agency jobs turn into permanent work?

Often, yes. Many agency roles start as temporary or temp-to-hire and convert to permanent for reliable workers, which is one of the cleanest ways to land a stable job without a long local history. Showing up on time and working safely is what gets you kept on and moved up.

Can I get an office or professional job through an agency, not just manual work?

Yes. Alongside light-industrial and service roles, agencies place administrative, customer-service, finance and accounting, IT and engineering staff on contract, temp and permanent terms. If your background is office or technical, tell the agency so it matches you to the right desk.

Common Questions From Job Seekers

How do I get paid when I work through a staffing agency?

The agency is your employer of record: it pays your wages, makes the legal deductions, and issues your pay and payslips. With Trimax Verify, your hours are tracked from a geofenced check-in and flow straight into payroll, so your pay is accurate and on time.

What should I bring to my first shift?

Bring government photo ID, your Social Insurance Number, any safety tickets or certificates you hold (such as WHMIS or food-safety), and the personal protective equipment the job requires, often safety boots. Arrive early, and confirm the dress code and start time the day before.

Do I need experience to register with an agency?

No. Many agency roles across warehousing, manufacturing, food, hospitality, events and cleaning need no experience at all, and employers provide on-site training. Adding one short certification and being available for a range of shifts makes you easier to place quickly.

Can a temp job become permanent?

Often, yes. Many roles start as temporary or temp-to-hire and convert to permanent for reliable workers. Showing up on time, working safely and hitting your targets is what gets you kept on and moved up into better-paid work.

How do I find work with Trimax Employment?

Trimax Employment places job seekers across many sectors in major Canadian cities. Joining is free: fill out the contact form to join the talent pool, or visit the Trimax candidates page to learn more about how it works.