Updated employment data released on January 26, 2026, shows that the job market in the Southwest Economic Region of Manitoba — which includes the town of Carberry — remains a provincial leader, even as Statistics Canada revised how some numbers are calculated. Statistics Canada’s annual revision covers January 2023 to December 2025 and incorporates updated seasonal factors and population control totals based on the 2021 Census to improve accuracy.
The review confirmed that the Southwest Economic Region has been among the fastest‑growing parts of the province, with the region seeing about a 5.6 per cent increase in employment in 2024. According to the Manitoba Labour Market Outlook, the area continues to perform well, though Statistics Canada’s revisions and subsequent analysis show greater volatility in labour force participation rates in 2024–2025 than previously estimated.
Local employment in the Southwest is largely driven by agriculture and value‑added food processing, including McCain Foods’ facility that serves the Carberry area. McCain announced a combined $75 million investment in its Portage la Prairie and Carberry facilities in December 2018. Company activity and the expansion of processing capacity have been factors supporting continued demand for production staff and industrial mechanics; McCain was reported to be actively recruiting for such roles as of late 2025.
While demand for workers remains high, municipal leaders and local employers — including officials in the Municipality of North Cypress‑Langford — say finding enough people to fill open positions is a challenge. Many of these jobs are hard to fill in part because of limited local housing for workers who would need to relocate or commute from nearby towns.
