Canada Lost 68,000 Jobs in September; Unemployment Rises to 6.5%
Statistics Canada's September 2026 Labour Force Survey shows a second monthly fall in jobs, losses in education and health care, and gains in Alberta.
Canada| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Organization | Statistics Canada |
| Official source | Statistics Canada – The Daily, Labour Force Survey, September 2026 ✓ www150.statcan.gc.ca |
Canada's job market weakened for a second straight month. According to Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, released on 9 October 2026, employment fell by 68,000 in September and the unemployment rate rose to 6.5%.
Key figures for September 2026
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Change in employment | −68,000 (−0.3%) |
| Full-time / part-time | −35,000 / −33,000 |
| Unemployment rate | 6.5% (up 0.1 points) |
| Employment rate | 60.6% |
| Average hourly wage | $37.64, up 2.3% on a year earlier |
| Youth unemployment (15–24) | 13.0% |
This followed a drop of 42,000 jobs in August.
Which sectors and provinces
- Losses: educational services (−35,000), health care and social assistance (−23,000) and manufacturing (−13,000).
- Gains: "other services" added 17,000 jobs.
- Provinces: jobs fell in Quebec (−49,000) and British Columbia (−20,000), while Alberta added 23,000, and its unemployment rate dropped to 6.4%.
What it means for people planning to move to Canada
- A softer job market makes job offers harder to get, especially in education and health care this month.
- Alberta is the bright spot. Job growth there was the strongest of any province in September.
- Express Entry is changing on 3 November 2026, with extra points for Canadian experience or job offers in high-wage occupations. Read: Canada changes Express Entry on 3 November.
- Be wary of "guaranteed job offers" sold for a fee. Real employers do not charge candidates.
Apply only through the official source.
Open official notice →TheJobSeek never charges for jobs and is not a recruitment agency. If anyone asks you to pay for a job offer or visa in the name of this article, it is a scam.
