Ottawaruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Federal government
Treasury Board, Global Affairs, Department of National Defence, Statistics Canada, CRA
The federal public service is by a wide margin the largest employer in the region, which gives Ottawa unusually stable employment and unusually slow hiring.
Technology & telecoms
Shopify, Ciena, Nokia, Ericsson, Ross Video, Kinaxis
Ottawa's 'Silicon Valley North' grew out of Nortel's collapse, which scattered thousands of telecom engineers into new companies — the optical networking cluster here remains world-class.
Defence & security
General Dynamics Mission Systems, Calian, MDA, Lockheed Martin Canada
Proximity to the defence procurement machinery keeps a substantial contractor sector here, most of it requiring security clearance.
Software & SaaS
Shopify, Klipfolio, Assent, Fullscript, Solace
Shopify's headquarters anchors a genuine product software scene, and the city's cost base makes it viable to build here rather than in Toronto.
Higher education & research
University of Ottawa, Carleton University, National Research Council, Algonquin College
The University of Ottawa is one of the largest bilingual universities in the world, and the National Research Council's laboratories are concentrated here.
Health & life sciences
The Ottawa Hospital, CHEO, Ottawa Heart Institute, Health Canada
The Ottawa Heart Institute and the research hospitals attached to the university form a substantial clinical research base alongside the federal health regulator.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.