Unemployment Rate in Canada decreased to 6.90 percent in October from 7.10 percent in September of 2025. This dataset provides - Canada Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

In 2024, the unemployment rate of both sexes aged 15 years and over in all industries in Canada stood at 6.3 percent. Between 1976 and 2024, the figure dropped by 0.8 percentage points, though the decline followed an uneven course rather than a steady trajectory.

Unemployment rate, participation rate, and employment rate by educational attainment, gender and age group, annual.

Key information about Canada Unemployment Rate

• Canada Unemployment Rate remained the same at 6.60% in Feb 2025, from the previously reported figure of 6.60% in Jan 2025.
• Canada Unemployment Rate is updated monthly, available from Jan 1976 to Feb 2025, with an average rate of 7.60%.
• The data reached an all-time high of 14.20% in May 2020 and a record low of 4.80% in Jul 2022.
• The data is reported by reported by Statistics Canada.
• In the latest reports, Canada Population reached 41.29 million people in Jun 2024.

The economic environment represents the external conditions under which people are engaged in, and benefit from, economic activity. The indicators of the economic environment measure the ability of households to access goods and services important to quality of life.

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a household survey carried out monthly by Statistics Canada. Since its inception in 1945, the objectives of the LFS have been to divide the working-age population into three mutually exclusive classifications - employed, unemployed, and not in the labour force - and to provide descriptive and explanatory data on each of these categories. Data from the survey provide information on major labour market trends such as shifts in employment across industrial sectors, hours worked, labour force participation and unemployment rates, employment including the self-employed, full and part-time employment, and unemployment. It publishes monthly standard labour market indicators such as the unemployment rate, the employment rate and the participation rate. The LFS is a major source of information on the personal characteristics of the working-age population, including age, sex, marital status, educational attainment, and family characteristics. Employment estimates include detailed breakdowns by demographic characteristics, industry and occupation, job tenure, and usual and actual hours worked. This dataset is designed to provide the user with historical information from the Labour Force Survey. The tables included are monthly and annual, with some dating back to 1976. Most tables are available by province as well as nationally. Demographic, industry, occupation and other indicators are presented in tables derived from the LFS data. The information generated by the survey has expanded considerably over the years with a major redesign of the survey content in 1976 and again in 1997, and provides a rich and detailed picture of the Canadian labour market. Some changes to the Labour Force Survey (LFS) were introduced which affect data back to 1987. There are three reasons for this revision: The revision enables the use of improved population benchmarks in the LFS estimation process. These improved benchmarks provide better information on the number of non-permanent residents. There are changes to the data for the public and private sectors from 1987 to 1999. In the past, the data on the public and private sectors for this period were based on an old definition of the public sector. The revised data better reflects the current public sector definition, and therefore result in a longer time series for analysis. The geographic coding of several small Census Agglomerations (CA) has been updated historically from 1996 urban centre boundaries to 2001 CA boundaries. This affects data from January 1987 to December 2004. It is important to note that the changes to almost all estimates are very minor, with the exception of the public sector series and some associated industries from 1987 to 1999. Rates of unemployment, employment and participation are essentially unchanged, as are all key labour market trends. The article titled Improvements in 2006 to the LFS (also under the LFS Documentation button) provides an overview of the effect of these changes on the estimates. The seasonally-adjusted tables have been revised back three years (beginning with January 2004) based on the latest seasonal output.

The statistic shows the gross domestic product growth rate in Canada from 2020 to 2024, with projections up until 2030. In 2024, Canada’s real GDP growth was around 1.53 percent compared to the previous year.Economy of CanadaAs an indicator for the shape of a country’s economy, there are not many factors as telling as GDP. GDP is the total market value of all final goods and services that have been produced within a country within a given period of time, usually a year. Real GDP figures serve as an even more reliable tool in determining the direction in which a country’s economy may be swaying, as they are adjusted for inflation and reflect real price changes.Canada is one of the largest economies in the world and is counted among the globe’s wealthiest nations. It has a relatively small labor force in comparison to some of the world’s other largest economic powers, amounting to just under 19 million. Unemployment in Canada has remained relatively high as the country has battled against the tide of economic woe that swept across the majority of the world after the 2008 financial meltdown, and although moving in the right direction, there is still some way to go for Canada.Canada is among the leading trading nations worldwide, owing to the absolutely vast supplies of natural resources, which make up a key part of the Canadian trading relationship with the United States, the country with which Canada trades by far the most. In recent years, around three quarters of Canadian exports went to the United States and just over half of its imports came from its neighbor to the south. The relationship is very much mutually beneficial; Canada is the leading foreign energy supplier to the United States.

Income from employment allows for the purchase of goods and services. Employment status may also affect esteem and well-being. A high unemployment rate inversely impacts quality of life, since it may influence personal self-esteem, dignity and security; as well, have an impact on the purchasing of more basic needs. The greater the proportion of people working part year, part time relative to those working full-year, full time inversely influences quality of life, since it may indicate the lack of full-time employment opportunities. High average employment income directly influences quality of life, since it can indicate the ability of individuals to purchase a wider range of goods and services.

Census data showed employment reached an estimated 16 021 200 in 2006, up 1 326 000 from 2001. Just two western provinces - Alberta and British Columbia - accounted for a third of this increase. During the same five-year period, the unemployment rate fell in every province and territory, except Ontario and the Northwest Territories. The shift in industrial demand for workers to different parts of the economy had an impact on the occupational make-up of the nation. The map shows by census division the percentage of the population employed in natural and applied sciences and related occupations.

Census data showed employment reached an estimated 16 021 200 in 2006, up 1 326 000 from 2001. Just two western provinces - Alberta and British Columbia - accounted for a third of this increase. During the same five-year period, the unemployment rate fell in every province and territory, except Ontario and the Northwest Territories. The shift in industrial demand for workers to different parts of the economy had an impact on the occupational make-up of the nation. The map shows by census division the percentage of the population employed in management.

There has been a substantial increase in the number of young adults living in their parental home. According to the results of the 1996 Census, 47% of women aged 20 to 34 lived with their parents, while over half of young unmarried men lived at home. A number of factors have influenced this trend: Longer periods of time spent in schooling, higher rates of unemployment and economic instability during the early 1980's and in the early 1990's have influenced young adults towards placing more dependence on parents.