Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 6.7% in October 2026 from 6.5% in September, its highest level since April and above expectations that it would hold at 6.5%. The labour market showed signs of stalling as US tariffs continued to weigh on certain sectors.
The number of unemployed people increased by 32,800 to 1,507,700. Nearly one-quarter of them (23.7%) had been out of work for at least 27 weeks. The share of long-term unemployment was highest among those aged 55 and over, at 32.7%, compared with 25.3% among core-aged workers.
Among core-aged workers, unemployment rates were unchanged for both men (5.8%) and women (5.3%). Young people continued to have the lowest share of long-term unemployment, at 15.2%, although their overall unemployment rate rose to 13.7% as employment slipped and more youth entered the labour force in search of work.
The labour force participation rate was unchanged at 64.8%, while the number of employed persons declined by 4,700.
