Public administration and finance-related sectors were the only industries where employment was little changed across most sectors, according to Statistics Canada.
In public administration, employment increased by 37,000 (+3.0%), driven by temporary hiring related to the federal election.
In finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing, employment rose by 24,000 (+1.6%), continuing steady growth since October 2024, with cumulative gains of 67,000 (+4.7%).
Ontario faces biggest fall
Ontario likely faced the biggest employment decline, the report finds, compared to other regions, due to losses in manufacturing and wholesale/retail trade. The unemployment rate in the province rose by 0.3 percentage points, reaching 7.8%.
In Quebec, employment rose by 18,000 (+0.4%), the province’s first significant gain since November 2024. However, more people entered the labour force, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.3 percentage points to 6.0%.
