Macroeconomics & Fed
Canada lost 68,000 jobs in September as unemployment reached 6.5%
Statistics Canada estimates employment fell 0.3% in September 2026 and the unemployment rate edged up 0.1 percentage point. The survey describes Canadian labour conditions, not a forecast for markets.
Canada's Labour Force Survey estimates that employment declined by 68,000 in September, split between full-time and part-time work. It was the second consecutive monthly decline, following an estimated 42,000 decrease in August.
The national unemployment rate rose to 6.5%, while the employment rate fell to 60.6%. Employment losses were concentrated among younger workers and core-aged women; provincial results differed, including a gain in Alberta and losses in Quebec and British Columbia.
These are survey estimates for the reference week of 13–19 September 2026. Month-to-month estimates have sampling uncertainty and may be revised. Adapted from Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, September 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product. No third-party image or chart has been reproduced.
Educational information. Not investment advice.
Educational information. Not investment advice.