The unemployment rate in Canada fell to 6.5% in January 2026 from 6.8% in the previous month, undershooting market expectations of 6.8% and marking the lowest level in 16 months, as fewer people searched for work. The decline marked a partial reversal of the prior month’s increase and reflected a 94,000 drop in the number of unemployed to around 1.5 million. The labour force contracted by roughly 94,000, pushing the participation rate down to 65.0% from 65.4%. Net employment fell by 25,000 to 21.12 million, interrupting the recent run of gains. Losses were driven by a 70,000 decline in part-time employment, partly offset by a 45,000 increase in full-time work. source: Statistics Canada

Unemployment Rate in Canada decreased to 6.50 percent in January from 6.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Canada averaged 7.56 percent from 1966 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 14.20 percent in May of 2020 and a record low of 2.90 percent in June of 1966. This page provides - Canada Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news. Canada Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Canada decreased to 6.50 percent in January from 6.80 percent in December of 2025. Unemployment Rate in Canada is expected to be 6.90 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Canada Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 6.30 percent in 2027, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-09 01:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 6.8% 6.5% 6.6% 6.70%
2026-02-06 01:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 6.5% 6.8% 6.8% 6.8%
2026-03-13 01:30 PM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 6.5% 6.7%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Average Hourly Wages 38.02 38.01 CAD Dec 2025
Employed Persons 21143.70 21135.50 Thousand Dec 2025
Employment Change -24.80 10.10 Thousand Jan 2026
Employment Rate 60.90 60.90 percent Dec 2025
Full Time Employment Chg 44.90 50.20 Thousand Jan 2026
Job Vacancies 492475.00 506490.00 Sep 2025
Participation Rate 65.00 65.40 percent Jan 2026
Labour Costs 130.98 130.57 points Sep 2025
Minimum Wages 17.60 17.20 CAD/Hour Oct 2025
Non Farm Payrolls 18245.00 18276.00 Thousand Nov 2025
Part Time Employment Chg -69.70 -41.30 Thousand Jan 2026
Population 41.53 40.78 Million Dec 2024
Labor Productivity 104.42 103.48 points Sep 2025
Unemployed Persons 1550.70 1477.80 Thousand Dec 2025
Unemployment Rate 6.50 6.80 percent Jan 2026
Average Weekly Earnings YoY 2.50 2.00 percent Nov 2025
Wages 32.56 32.40 CAD/Hour Nov 2025
Wages in Manufacturing 32.08 32.00 CAD/Hour Oct 2025
Youth Unemployment Rate 13.30 12.80 percent Dec 2025


Canada Unemployment Rate
In Canada, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
6.50 6.80 14.20 2.90 1966 - 2026 percent Monthly
SA

News Stream
Canada Jobless Rate Drops to 16-Month Low
The unemployment rate in Canada fell to 6.5% in January 2026 from 6.8% in the previous month, undershooting market expectations of 6.8% and marking the lowest level in 16 months, as fewer people searched for work. The decline marked a partial reversal of the prior month’s increase and reflected a 94,000 drop in the number of unemployed to around 1.5 million. The labour force contracted by roughly 94,000, pushing the participation rate down to 65.0% from 65.4%. Net employment fell by 25,000 to 21.12 million, interrupting the recent run of gains. Losses were driven by a 70,000 decline in part-time employment, partly offset by a 45,000 increase in full-time work.
2026-02-06
Canada Unemployment Rate Edges Higher
The unemployment rate in Canada rose to 6.8% in December 2025 from 6.5% in the previous month and above market expectations of 6.6%, as more people entered the job market in search of work. The uptick partially reversed a cumulative 0.6-percentage-point decline recorded over the prior two months. The number of unemployed rose by 73,000 to 1.6 million, while the labor force increased by 81,000, pushing the participation rate up to 65.4%. Net employment rose by 8,200 to 21.14 million, marking a fourth consecutive month of improvement. Gains were driven by a 50,200 increase in full-time employment, offset by a 42,000 decline in part-time work.
2026-01-09
Canada Unemployment Rate Falls to 16-Month Low
The unemployment rate in Canada fell to 6.5% in November of 2025 from 6.9% in the previous month, the lowest in 16 months, and contrasting sharply with expectations that it would rise to 7%. The result marked a reversal in the trend of a rising jobless rate through most of the year, as the unemployed population fell by 80 thousand from the previous month to 1.5 million. This was sharper than the 26 thousand reduction in the labor force, bringing the labor force participation rate to 65.1%. In the meantime, net employment jumped by 53.6 thousand to 21.14 million, a third consecutive month of marked improvement. The increase was owed to a 63 thousand surge in part-time employment, with nearly 18% of those reporting to do so involuntarily, a broadly steady ration throughout the last year.
2025-12-05