City of Vaughan

Key Highlights 

• The national Consumer Price Index rose 2.2 per cent year-over-year in November, following an identical 2.2 per cent increase in October.   

• The national unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 6.5 per cent in November, while the employment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 60.9 per cent.   

• National Real Gross Domestic Product contracted 0.3 per cent in October, offsetting most of September’s 0.2 per cent growth.   

• In November, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre experienced demand for consulting in other services, professional scientific and technical services, construction, and health care and social assistance.    

• FedDev Ontario investment of over $3.1 million will help three Vaughan-based companies scale operations, adopt advanced technologies, and strengthen local supply chains.   

• Distribution Stox opens Greater Toronto Area distribution hub in Vaughan.   

• Cineplex Announces a New Playdium Location in Vaughan Mills for Summer 2026.   

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SELECT Economic Indicators 

 

The national Consumer Price Index rose 2.2 per cent year-over-year in November, following an identical 2.2 per cent increase in October. 

The Consumer Price Index rose 2.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis in November, following a 2.2 per cent increase in November. In Ontario, the Consumer Price Index rose 1.9 per cent year-over-year in November, up slightly by a 0.1 per cent increase from October. The Consumer Price Index increased in November at a faster pace than in October in five of Canada’s ten provinces.  

Consumers paid 4.7 per cent more year over year for food purchased from stores in November, driven largely by an increase in fresh fruit (+4.7 per cent), fresh or frozen beef (+17.7 per cent), and coffee (+27.8 per cent). The increase in November was the largest since December 2023 (+4.7 per cent). Higher beef prices have been partially attributed to lower cattle inventories in North America. Coffee prices have been affected by adverse weather conditions in growing regions and have risen amid U.S. tariffs on coffee-producing countries, contributing to higher prices for refined coffee. 

Year over year, prices for services rose at a slower pace in November compared with October. Lower prices for travel tours and travel accommodation, in addition to slower growth for rent prices, put downward pressure on the all-items CPI. Rent prices rose at a slower pace in November 2025 (+4.7 per cent) compared to October (+5.2 per cent). 

 

The national unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage points to 6.5 per cent in November, while the employment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 60.9 per cent. 

The unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points to 6.5 per cent, while the employment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 60.9 per cent. Employment increased by 54,000 jobs (+0.3 per cent) in November, driven by gains in part-time work. The unemployment rate fell in the CMA of Toronto (-0.3 percentage points to 8.4 per cent), which includes Vaughan.  

Employment growth was concentrated among youth aged 15 to 24 (+50,000; +1.8 per cent). The gain in November follows an increase in October (+21,000; +0.8 per cent). These two months were the first increases in youth employment since the start of the year. Youth bore the brunt of a difficult labour market through most of 2025. In November, the youth employment rate was 55.3 per cent, up 1.7 percentage points from the low recorded in July (53.6 per cent). There was little change in employment for core-aged people (25 to 54 years) and people aged 55 years and older. 

Employment increased in health care and social assistance (+46,000; +1.6 per cent), one of Vaughan’s emerging sectors. Employment decreased in one of Vaughan’s key sectors, wholesale and retail trade (-34,000; -1.1 per cent). The number of private-sector employees rose by 52,000 (+0.4 per cent) in November, while there was little change in the number of public-sector employees and self-employed workers. 

Among people who were unemployed in October, 19.6 per cent had found work in November. This job-finding rate was up slightly compared with the same months in 2024 (18.6 per cent), indicating that job searchers were more likely to find work in November 2025 than a year earlier (not seasonally adjusted).   

 

National Real Gross Domestic Product contracted 0.3 per cent in October, offsetting most of September’s 0.2 per cent growth. 

Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased 0.3 per cent in October, offsetting a 0.2 per cent increase in September. The decrease was driven by contractions in goods-producing and services-producing industries. Overall, 11 of the 20 industrial sectors contracted in October. 

The manufacturing sector, one of Vaughan’s key sectors, fell 1.5 per cent in October, largely offsetting September’s expansion, as contractions in durable-goods and non-durable goods manufacturing industries weighed on growth. Machinery manufacturing (6.9 per cent) contributed the most to the decline in October after driving the increase in the previous month. Wood product manufacturing (-7.3 per cent) recorded its largest decline since April 2020, on widespread contractions across all industry groups. Sawmills and wood preservation (-9.0 per cent) drove the decline in the subsector in October 2025, reflecting production slowdowns following the US government’s announcement of additional tariffs on Canadian lumber effective October 14. 

In addition to manufacturing, three of Vaughan’s other key sectors declined in October: transportation and warehousing, down 1.1 per cent, wholesale trade, down 0.9 per cent, and the construction sector, down 0.4 per cent.  

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LOCAL TRENDS, INVESTMENTS, AND SUCCESS STORIES 

 

In November, the Vaughan Business and Entrepreneurship Centre experienced demand for consulting in other services, professional scientific and technical services, construction, and health care and social assistance.  

In November, the top five industries seeking small business or entrepreneurship consultations were: 

1. Other Services (25 per cent) 
2. Professional Scientific & Technical Services (18 per cent) 
3. Construction (8 per cent) 
4. Health Care and Social Assistance (8 per cent)
5. Manufacturing (7 per cent) 

*Other services include repair centers for motor vehicles, pet care services, funeral, laundry, photo finishing, etc. 

 

A FedDev Ontario investment of over $3.1 million will help three Vaughan-based companies scale operations, adopt advanced technologies, and strengthen local supply chains. 

The Federal government announced over $3.1 million to support the growth and resiliency of three Vaughan companies: Sky Acoustics Inc., Letar Inc. and Petra Hygienic Systems International Ltd. (Petra). Sky Acoustics Inc. is receiving up to $1 million to accelerate growth through the adoption of new automated equipment and more sustainable production practices. Letar Inc. is receiving $1.5 million to expand its capacity for complex aerospace and defence components through the adoption of advanced machining equipment. Petra is receiving $625,000 to implement its fully automated production system, powered by its AI-driven engine. The project will establish flexible, high-speed autonomous production lines for its personal care and cosmetic products. 

 

Distribution Stox opens Greater Toronto Area distribution hub in Vaughan. 

Distribution Stox is consolidating its Ontario operations with the upcoming opening of a new distribution centre in Vaughan, which will serve as the hub of its Greater Toronto Area operations. The consolidation will shift activities from Brampton to Vaughan as part of the company’s ongoing expansion in Ontario. The move centralizes GTA operations at a single location intended to improve proximity to customers, partners and employees across the region. 

 

Cineplex announces a new Playdium location in Vaughan Mills for Summer 2026. 

Canadian entertainment chain Playdium is bringing arcade games and interactive activities to Vaughan Mills. Construction for the new location has already started with targeted opening for summer 2026. The new Playdium will span more than 24,000 feet and will feature more than 70 games and attractions, including a ropes course, wall climbing, laser tag, duckpin bowling, and paintball. The new Playdium location will support Vaughan’s continuously expanding tourism sector and provide Vaughan Mills with an additional anchor tenant.