Canada sheds 68,000 jobs, unemployment rate up to 6.5% in September
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Digital Subscription
One year of digital access for only $205*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Free Press access to your Brandon Sun subscription for only an additional
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
- Enjoy unlimited reading on winnipegfreepress.com
- Read the E-Edition, our digital replica newspaper
- Access News Break, our award-winning app
- Play interactive puzzles
*Your next Brandon Sun subscription payment will increase by $1.00 and you will be charged $17.95 plus GST for four weeks. After four weeks, your payment will increase to $24.95 plus GST every four weeks.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
OTTAWA – Canada’s economy posted a second consecutive month of job losses in September, pushing up the unemployment rate and offsetting what had been a hot streak for the labour market earlier in the year.
Statistics Canada said Friday the economy lost 68,000 positions in September, coming off a loss of 42,000 roles in August. Economists had expected a gain of 9,200 jobs in the month.
StatCan said job losses were nearly evenly split between full- and part-time work and were concentrated in the public sector.
The unemployment rate edged up a tenth of a point to 6.5 per cent last month, back to where it stood at the start of the year in January.
September now marks the steepest single month of job losses since February.
Before the back-to-back months of losses, employers had collectively added 181,000 positions from April through July. Employment was up 95,000 positions compared with last September.
Youth aged 15 to 24 bore the brunt of the losses in September with 48,000 fewer jobs, though a shrinking labour pool for young workers meant the unemployment rate for the cohort was little changed at 13 per cent.
Women aged 25 to 54 also lost 28,000 positions in September.
The educational services sector led the declines with a loss of 35,000 positions last month, followed by the healthcare and manufacturing industries. September, meanwhile, recorded a gain of 17,000 jobs from a segment that includes repair, maintenance and other household and personal services.
Provincially, Quebec stood out with a loss of 49,000 jobs last month, while Ontario and British Columbia both shed 20,000 positions. Alberta added 23,000 roles.
Average hourly wages rose 2.3 per cent on an annual basis last month, up from two per cent in August.
The September jobs figures mark the Bank of Canada’s last look at the labour market before its next interest rate decision set for Oct. 28.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 9, 2026.