Launched: 2026-09-04
Employment stage — Canada
21,173,000
August 2026
-0.2% 
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Canada
6.4%
August 2026
0.0 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — N.L.
245,000
August 2026
0.6% 
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — N.L.
8.6%
August 2026
-0.7 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — P.E.I.
96,000
August 2026
-0.4%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — P.E.I.
7.9%
August 2026
1.1 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — N.S.
541,000
August 2026
0.5%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — N.S.
6.1%
August 2026
-0.1 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — N.B.
409,000
August 2026
0.6%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — N.B.
7.3%
August 2026
0.3 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — Que.
4,589,000
August 2026
-0.4%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Que.
5.6%
August 2026
0.0 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — Ont.
8,307,000
August 2026
-0.2%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Ont.
6.9%
August 2026
0.1 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — Man.
756,000
August 2026
0.1%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Man.
5.0%
August 2026
0.0 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — Sask.
622,000
August 2026
0.4%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Sask.
6.0%
August 2026
0.0 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — Alta.
2,661,000
August 2026
-0.3%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — Alta.
6.8%
August 2026
-0.2 pts
(month-to-month change)
Employment stage — B.C.
2,949,000
August 2026
-0.2%
(month-to-month change)
Unemployment charge — B.C.
6.5%
August 2026
0.3 pts
(month-to-month change)
Highlights
Employment declined by 42,000 (-0.2%) in August and the employment charge fell 0.1 share factors to 60.8%. The unemployment charge was unchanged at 6.4%.
Employment fell amongst youth aged 15 to 24 (-19,000; -0.7%) and edged down (-16,000; -0.1%) amongst individuals within the core-age (25 to 54 years outdated).
Whereas the general unemployment charge was unchanged in August, it elevated amongst core-aged males (+0.2 share factors to 6.0%) and fell for core-aged ladies (-0.2 share factors to 5.0%). The unemployment charge was little modified for youth (12.9%) and folks aged 55 and older (5.1%).
Employment declined in enterprise, constructing and different help companies (-20,000; -2.8%), public administration (-8,800; -0.7%), pure assets (-7,700; -2.3%) and utilities (-5,600; -3.5%), whereas it elevated in manufacturing (+22,000; +1.2%).
Employment declined in Quebec (-19,000; -0.4%) and edged down in Ontario (-18,000; -0.2%). Employment elevated in New Brunswick (+2,400; +0.6%) and was little modified within the different provinces.
Common hourly wages amongst staff had been up 2.0% (+$0.71 to $37.02) on a year-over-year foundation in August, following development of 2.8% in July (not seasonally adjusted).
Employment declines in August
Employment fell by 42,000 (-0.2%) in August. The lower follows a cumulative improve of 181,000 (+0.9%) from April to July. On a year-over-year foundation, employment was up by 217,000 (+1.0%) in August.
The employment rate—the proportion of the inhabitants aged 15 and older who’re employed—decreased by 0.1 share factors to 60.8% in August. The employment charge in August was on par with the speed recorded firstly of the yr, and up 0.3 share factors in contrast with August 2025.
Chart 1
Employment charge decreases in August
The variety of public sector staff fell in August (-20,000; -0.4%), down for the third consecutive month. Since Might, the variety of public sector staff has declined by 78,000 (-1.7%) and was little modified in August in contrast with a yr earlier.
Employment was little modified amongst personal sector staff in August however was up by 156,000 (+1.1%) yr over yr. Equally, self-employment was little modified in August in contrast with the earlier month however elevated by 80,000 (+3.0%) in contrast with 12 months earlier.
Unemployment charge unchanged at 6.4%
The unemployment charge was unchanged at 6.4% in August. This follows three consecutive month-to-month declines in Might, June and July totalling 0.5 share factors.
Chart 2
Unemployment charge unchanged at 6.4% in August
Among the many 1.5 million individuals who had been unemployed in August, 24.0% had been in long-term unemployment, which means they’d been repeatedly looking for work for 27 weeks or extra. This proportion was much like that of August 2025 (23.0%) and remained above the pre-COVID-19 pandemic common of 17.1% recorded from 2017 to 2019.
The layoff charge was 0.8% in August, barely beneath the speed of 1.0% noticed 12 months earlier and much like the typical layoff charge (0.9%) noticed for the corresponding months from 2017 to 2019 (not seasonally adjusted). The layoff charge refers back to the proportion of people that turned unemployed resulting from a layoff between July and August.
Industries depending on US demand for exports proceed to face an unsure financial context, compounded by the latest imposition of recent US tariffs on Canadian exports. Within the 12 months to August, the layoff charge averaged 0.9% for staff in industries depending on US demand for exports. As compared, the speed was 0.7% for different industries over the identical interval. For extra details about the labour dynamics of industries depending on US demand for exports, see “Recent employment trends in industries dependent on U.S. demand” and “United States tariffs and Canadian labour market trends.”
The participation rate—the proportion of the inhabitants aged 15 and older who had been employed or on the lookout for worokay—fell 0.1 share factors to 65.0% in August, offsetting a similar-sized improve in July. On a year-over-year foundation, the participation charge was little modified.
Unemployment charge rises amongst core-aged males
In August, the unemployment charge for core-aged males (25 to 54 years outdated) rose 0.2 share factors to 6.0%, as extra males on this age group entered the labour market and looked for work. Employment held regular for core-aged males and the employment charge was unchanged at 86.5%.
In contrast with 12 months earlier, the unemployment charge for core-aged males was down 0.3 share factors and the employment charge was up 0.6 share factors.
Amongst core-aged ladies, the unemployment charge fell 0.2 share factors to 5.0% in August, because the labour pressure declined by 31,000 (-0.4%) and the quantity looking for work fell barely. Employment for core-aged ladies edged down (-17,000; -0.3%).
The employment charge for core-aged ladies fell 0.3 share factors to 80.9% in August, following a five-month cumulative improve of 1.1 share factors. Regardless of the decline in August, the employment charge for core-aged ladies was up on a year-over-year foundation (+1.5 share factors) and remained greater than the corresponding pre-pandemic common of 79.1% noticed from 2017 to 2019.
Infographic 1
Employment charge by age group, August 2026
Infographic 2
Unemployment charge by age group, August 2026
For individuals aged 55 and older, the unemployment charge was little modified at 5.1%, as employment held regular. The employment charge for individuals between the ages of 55 and 64 was 64.3% in August, little modified each within the month and on a year-over-year foundation.
Youth employment declines
Employment amongst youth fell by 19,000 (-0.7%) in August. The youth employment charge was little modified at 55.1% within the month and was up by 1.2 share factors from 12 months earlier.
The unemployment charge for youth aged 15 to 24 edged up 0.3 share factors to 12.9% in August, following a web decline of 1.7 share factors from April to July. The youth unemployment charge in August was 1.4 share factors decrease than a yr earlier (14.3%) however remained greater than the pre-pandemic common of 10.8% recorded from 2017 to 2019.
Extra beneficial summer time job marketplace for returning college students in 2026 in contrast with earlier yr
From Might to August, the Labour Power Survey (LFS) collects labour market info from college students who attended college full time in March and who intend to return to highschool full time within the fall.
The unemployment charge for returning college students aged 15 to 24 was 15.6% in August, down 1.3 share factors from 12 months earlier (16.9%) (not seasonally adjusted). On common from Might to August 2026, the unemployment charge for returning college students was 15.9%, down from 17.9% throughout this identical interval in 2025.
Chart 3
Unemployment charge for returning college students in the course of the summer time months, 1977 to 2026
The lower within the unemployment charge from the summer time of 2025 to the summer time of 2026 was extra pronounced for older returning college students. Amongst returning college students aged 20 to 24, the unemployment charge was 9.2% in the summertime of 2026, down from 12.3% in the summertime of 2025. For returning college students aged 17 to 19, the unemployment charge was 16.7%, down from 18.5% in 2025. In the meantime, among the many youngest returning pupils—aged 15 to 16—the unemployment charge was 29.9% this summer time, little modified from the speed in 2025 (29.6%).
Employment declines unfold throughout a number of industries, whereas manufacturing rises
Employment declined in enterprise, constructing and different help companies (-20,000; -2.8%), public administration (-8,800; -0.7%), pure assets (-7,700; -2.3%), and utilities (-5,600; -3.5%) in August. Regardless of recording month-to-month declines, employment in these 4 industries was little modified on a year-over-year foundation.
Chart 4
Employment change by business, August 2026
Manufacturing (+22,000; +1.2%) was the one sector to report a big improve in employment in August, with most of that improve (+14,000; +1.7%) in Ontario. On a year-over-year foundation, employment on this sector was little modified, as the rise in August offset decreases earlier within the yr.
Over the 12 months to August, employment development was concentrated in well being care and social help (+129,000; +4.5%), info, tradition and recreation (+49,000; +5.9%) and transportation and warehousing (+47,000; +4.4%). However, wholesale and retail commerce (-55,000; -1.8%) recorded the most important decline throughout industries over the identical interval.
Yr-over-year development in common hourly wages decelerates for the second consecutive month
Common hourly wages amongst staff in August had been up 2.0% (to $37.02) yr over yr, following development of 2.8% in July and 3.3% in June (not seasonally adjusted).
Chart 5
Yr-over-year change (%) in common hourly wages
Yr-over-year development in common hourly wages had remained sturdy via the post-pandemic interval, and averaged 4.9% over 2023 and 2024, earlier than decelerating to a mean of 3.4% in 2025. Wage development in August 2026 was the slowest since November 2017 (when it was additionally 2.0%), excluding the yr 2021, in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Yr-over-year wage development was slower for workers with decrease wages in August. For workers within the backside 25% of the wage distribution, common hourly wages had been up 1.1% (to $18.66) yr over yr, whereas they had been up 1.3% (to $26.61) for workers within the second lowest 25% of the wage distribution. As compared, wages grew sooner for workers within the third (+2.1% to $37.99) and prime (+2.1% to $65.15) quartiles.
Employment declines in Quebec
Employment in Quebec declined by 19,000 (-0.4%) in August, following little change in July. The decline in employment was concentrated within the census metropolitan space (CMA) of Montréal (-21,000; -0.9%). In August, Quebec was the one province to report a year-over-year decline in employment (-54,000; -1.2%). The unemployment charge within the province held regular at 5.6% in August and was little modified yr over yr. Within the Montréal CMA, the unemployment charge was 6.5% in August, little modified each within the month and on a year-over-year foundation.
Map 1
Unemployment charge by province and territory, August 2026
Employment edged down in Ontario (-18,000; -0.2%), following a web improve of 119,000 (+1.5%) from March to July. On a year-over-year foundation, employment within the province was up by 116,000 (+1.4%) in August. The unemployment charge in Ontario was 6.9% in August, little modified from the earlier month, and down 0.8 share factors in contrast with August 2025. Within the Toronto CMA, the unemployment charge was unchanged at 6.7% in August and was down from a latest excessive of 9.0% noticed in July 2025.
In New Brunswick, employment elevated by 2,400 (+0.6%) in August, following three months of little change. The unemployment charge within the province was little modified at 7.3%. There was little variation in employment within the different provinces.
Sustainable Improvement Objectives
On January 1, 2016, the world formally started implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations’ transformative plan of motion that addresses pressing international challenges over the following 15 years. The plan relies on 17 particular sustainable improvement objectives.
The Labour Power Survey is an instance of how Statistics Canada helps the reporting on the International Objectives for Sustainable Improvement. This launch will probably be utilized in serving to to measure the next objectives:
Notice to readers
The Labour Power Survey (LFS) estimates for August mirror labour market circumstances in the course of the reference week of August 9 to 15, 2026.
The pattern dimension of the LFS is roughly 65,000 households, representing over 100,000 respondents every month. For extra info, see the Guide to the Labour Force Survey.
This evaluation focuses on variations between estimates which might be statistically important on the 68% confidence stage. Month-to-month estimates might present extra sampling variability than developments noticed over longer intervals. For extra info, see “Interpreting Monthly Changes in Employment from the Labour Force Survey.”
LFS estimates on the Canada stage don’t embody the territories.
The LFS estimates are the primary in a sequence of labour market indicators launched by Statistics Canada, which incorporates indicators from applications such because the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH); Employment Insurance coverage Statistics; and the Job Emptiness and Wage Survey. For extra info on the conceptual variations between employment measures from the LFS and people from the SEPH, seek advice from section 8 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey.
The employment charge is the variety of employed individuals as a share of the inhabitants aged 15 years and older. The speed for a selected group (for instance, youth aged 15 to 24 years) is the quantity employed in that group as a share of the inhabitants for that group.
The unemployment charge is the variety of unemployed individuals as a share of the labour pressure (employed and unemployed).
The participation charge is the variety of employed and unemployed individuals as a share of the inhabitants aged 15 years and older.
Full-time employment consists of individuals who normally work 30 hours or extra per week at their foremost or solely job.
Half-time employment consists of individuals who normally work lower than 30 hours per week at their foremost or solely job.
Whole hours labored refers back to the variety of hours truly labored on the foremost job by the respondent in the course of the reference week, together with paid and unpaid hours. These hours mirror short-term decreases or will increase in work hours (for instance, hours misplaced resulting from sickness, trip, holidays or climate; or extra hours labored resulting from extra time).
This launch refers back to the gender of a person. The class “males” consists of males, in addition to some non-binary individuals. The class “ladies” consists of ladies, in addition to some non-binary individuals. Provided that the non-binary inhabitants is small, knowledge aggregation to a two-category gender variable is important to guard the confidentiality of responses offered.
Seasonal adjustment
Except in any other case said, estimates offered on this launch are seasonally adjusted, which facilitates comparisons by eradicating the consequences of typical differences due to the season. For extra info on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data: Concepts and interpretation.
Inhabitants totals within the Labour Power Survey
The LFS goal inhabitants consists of all individuals aged 15 years and older whose typical place of residence is in Canada, with some exceptions (these dwelling on reserves, full-time members of the common Armed Forces and individuals dwelling in establishments). The goal inhabitants consists of short-term residents—that is, these with a legitimate work or research allow, their households, and refugee claimants—as properly as everlasting residents (landed immigrants) and the Canadian-born.
Data gathered from LFS respondents is weighted to signify the survey goal inhabitants utilizing inhabitants calibration totals. These totals are up to date every month, utilizing probably the most lately out there info on inhabitants adjustments derived from Canada’s official inhabitants estimates, with minor changes being made to mirror the LFS goal inhabitants.
Whereas the LFS inhabitants totals are typically aligned with official demographic estimates, the official estimates ought to be thought-about the official measure of inhabitants change in Canada. Extra info on how inhabitants totals within the LFS are calculated will be discovered within the article “Interpreting population totals from the Labour Force Survey.”
Subsequent launch
The following launch of the LFS will probably be on October 9, 2026. September 2026 knowledge will mirror labour market circumstances in the course of the week of September 13 to 19.
Merchandise
Extra details about the ideas and use of the Labour Power Survey is on the market on-line within the Information to the Labour Power Survey (71-543-G).
The product “Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app” (14200001) can also be out there. This interactive visualization software offers seasonally adjusted estimates by province, gender, age group and business.
The product “Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted” (71-607-X) can also be out there. This interactive dashboard offers customizable entry to key labour market indicators.
The product “Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality” (71-607-X) can also be out there. This dynamic net software offers entry to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and financial areas.
The product “Labour market indicators, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and self-contained labour areas: Interactive dashboard” (71-607-X) can also be out there. This dashboard permits customers to visually discover the estimates utilizing an interactive map in addition to time sequence charts and tables.
The product Labour Power Survey: Public Use Microdata File (71M0001X) can also be out there. This public use microdata file incorporates non-aggregated knowledge for all kinds of variables collected from the Labour Power Survey. The information have been modified to make sure that no particular person or enterprise is straight or not directly recognized. This product is for customers preferring to do their very own evaluation by specializing in particular subgroups within the inhabitants or by cross-classifying variables that aren’t in our catalogued merchandise.
Contact info
For extra info, or to investigate in regards to the ideas, strategies or knowledge high quality of this launch, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
