Key facts
- Statistics Canada said the October unemployment rate of 6.7% was the highest since a 6.9% rate in April.
- Wholesale and retail trade lost 28,800 jobs in October, the largest decline of any industry, Statistics Canada said.
- Transportation and warehousing employment fell by 10,100, while construction added 16,000 jobs, Statistics Canada said.
- Youth unemployment, for ages 15 to 24, rose 0.7 percentage points to 13.7%, Statistics Canada said.
- Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 2% year-on-year in October, slowing from 2.3% in September, Statistics Canada said.
Canada's unemployment rate rose to 6.7% in October from 6.5% in September, Statistics Canada said on November 6, the highest level since a 6.9% rate in April. The economy lost a net 4,700 jobs in the month, against a forecast gain of 13,600 jobs in a Reuters poll of analysts, who had also expected the jobless rate to hold at 6.5%.
The losses were concentrated in full-time work, which fell by 18,100 positions, and in the private sector, which shed 52,500 jobs, its first decline since February, Statistics Canada said. Wholesale and retail trade recorded the largest industry decline at 28,800 jobs, followed by transportation and warehousing at 10,100. Construction added 16,000 jobs.
Youth unemployment, for those aged 15 to 24, rose 0.7 percentage points to 13.7%, and the jobless rate for people aged 55 and older rose to 5.5%. Average hourly wages for permanent employees rose 2% year-on-year, slowing from 2.3% in September.
Statistics Canada said more than one in four people aged 15 and older in the employable population reported difficulty meeting financial needs for transportation, housing, food, clothing and other necessary expenses over the previous four weeks. The agency said the economy has lost an average of 4,590 jobs a month so far in 2026, compared with average gains of 17,606 in 2025 and 33,675 in 2024, and 46,000 jobs overall in 2026.