2025.09.0513:04:36UTC+00Canada Employment Hits 3-Year Low

In August 2025, Canada experienced a notable decline in employment, with 66,000 jobs lost, representing a 0.3% reduction. This marked the most significant drop since January 2022, significantly diverging from predictions, which anticipated a gain of 7,500 jobs. The losses were predominantly in part-time roles, which decreased by 60,000 positions (a 1.5% drop), while full-time employment remained relatively stable following a decrease in July. Industry-specific declines were notably observed in professional, scientific, and technical services (down by 26,000 jobs, a 1.3% decrease), transportation and warehousing (a reduction of 23,000 jobs, equating to a 2.1% drop), and manufacturing (a decline of 19,000 jobs, or 1.0%). Conversely, the construction sector saw a rise, adding 17,000 positions, marking a 1.1% increase. On a regional level, Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta were most affected, with employment decreasing by 26,000 (0.3%), 16,000 (0.5%), and 14,000 (0.6%), respectively. Overall, the employment rate decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 60.5%, continuing its downward trajectory.