Gillingham: “Not a time for victory laps,” but Winnipeg’s economy on strong footing
Since Mayor Gillingham and the current Council were elected in October 2022, Winnipeg’s economy added 50,000 new jobs – more than in any prior Council term on record.
- This Council term marks the first time that the Winnipeg CMA has an employed workforce of over half a million people.
- Despite the loss of several beloved businesses and challenges for storefront retail, StatsCan tracked over 500 net new businesses in Winnipeg since the 2022 election.
- Winnipeg’s unemployment rate is the second-lowest of Canada’s top ten metros.
(Sourcing on these figures is available in attached backgrounder).
“President Trump’s economic bullying means Winnipeggers will have to confront more economic challenges, after six years of uncertainty,” said Gillingham. “This is not a time for victory laps, when we still face far too much disruption and disorder in many key business and retail areas. It’s important for Winnipeggers to know that overall, our economy stands on a strong footing as we respond to President Trump’s trade war threats.”
Some of this strength is coming from the success of the local housing sector; earlier this month, CMHC data confirmed that Winnipeg led the nation’s big cities in ongoing growth of housing starts, with 40% year-over-year growth in 2026 over 2025.
As Mayor, Gillingham will be participating in events this week to promote the growth of his “Sky Economy” initiative for Winnipeg’s aerospace, aviation and defence sectors.