Canada's unemployment rate rises to 6.7% in October as employment holds steady

Canada's unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.7% in October. Employment was little changed, down 4,700, or 0.0%, while the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.5%.

The unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 24 rose 0.7 percentage points to 13.7%. For people aged 55 and older, it rose 0.2 percentage points to 5.5%.

Employment fell by 29,000 in wholesale and retail trade, while construction added 16,000 jobs and educational services added 15,000. The number of private-sector employees fell by 53,000, while public-sector employment increased by 50,000.

The survey reflects conditions during October 11 to 17. Unless otherwise stated, its estimates are seasonally adjusted. Statistics Canada notes that monthly estimates can show more sampling variability than longer-term trends; the national estimates do not include the territories.

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, October 2026, released November 6, 2026. Statistics Canada