Canada’s
unemployment rate
rose to 6.7 per cent in February as the economy
shed 84,000 jobs
in both services-producing and goods-producing industries,
Statistics Canada said Friday.
Economists had been expecting a gain of 10,000 jobs.
Wholesale and retail trade suffered the most job losses, with 18,000 fewer people working in the sector, while “other services” such as personal and repair services lost 14,000 jobs.
The country’s employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 60.6 per cent, the second consecutive monthly decline and a hair above the recent low of 60.5 per cent recorded in August 2025.
The participation rate — the proportion of the population aged 15 and up who were employed or looking for work — fell by 0.1 percentage points to 64.9 per cent in February and was down 0.4 percentage points compared to a year ago.
The youth unemployment rate rose from 12.8 per cent in January to 14.1 per cent in February, which Statistics Canada said is close to the 14.6 per cent recorded in September 2025, the highest in 15 years (outside of the COVID-19 pandemic). Meanwhile, youth employment fell 1.7 per cent.
The 0.6 per cent decline in full-time jobs in February erased gains from the previous two months and part-time jobs were unchanged.
More to come …
Canada's unemployment rate rises to 6.7% as economy loses 84,000 jobs
2026-03-13 12:55:21
