Job gains and losses in July 2026
Statistics Canada’s July 2026 Labour Force Survey saw some shifts in a few industries. Employment increased in wholesale and retail trade by 21,000 (+0.7%). Finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing increased by 18,000 jobs (+1.2%).
Professional, scientific and technical services saw an increase of 17,000 jobs (+0.8%), as well as in construction, adding 16,000 jobs (+1.0%).
In contrast, employment declined in public administration by 15,000 jobs (-1.2%) and agriculture, seeing a loss of 9,600 jobs (-4.3%).
Other notable employment changes include:
Construction (+15,700 jobs)Manufacturing (+11,100 jobs)Natural resources (-7,900 jobs) Information, culture and recreation (-4,800 jobs)
Canada’s employment holds steady
Employment saw a jump in July (+75,000; +0.4%), following an increase of 18,000 (+0.1%) in June.
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—increased by 0.1 percentage points to 60.9% in July. The rate was up 0.2 percentage points compared with 12 months earlier.
While the job market in Canada continues to fluctuate across many sectors, the unemployment rates for skilled professionals supported by Robert Half Canada’s staffing experts – continue to be below the national average:
Management occupations: down to 1.6% (from 1.9%)Business, finance, and administration occupations: down to 2.4% (from 2.8%)Natural and applied sciences and related occupations: down to 2.4% (from 2.7%)Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services: up to 5.4% (from 2.6%)Sales and services occupations, except management: down to 4% (from 4.2%)
Provincial unemployment breakdown July 2026
Unemployment rates by province:
Canada: 6.4 per cent (–0.1 per cent)Newfoundland and Labrador: 9.3 per cent (+1.1 per cent)Prince Edward Island: 6.8 per cent (–0.8 per cent)Nova Scotia: 6.2 per cent (-0.3 per cent)New Brunswick: 7 per cent (–0.3 per cent)Quebec: 5.6 per cent (+0.2 per cent)Ontario: 6.8 per cent (-0.2 per cent)Manitoba: 5 per cent (-0.4 per cent)Saskatchewan: 6 per cent (-0.1 per cent)Alberta: 7.0 per cent (+0.0 per cent)British Columbia: 6.2 per cent (-0.3 per cent)Yukon: 6.6 per cent (-0.7 per cent)Northwest Territories: 8 per cent (-0.1 per cent)Nunavut: 11.3 per cent (-0.3 per cent)
Employment in Ontario increased by 52,000 (+0.6%) in July, the third increase in four months with a net gain of 119,000 (+1.5%) over this period. The unemployment rate in Ontario declined 0.2 percentage points to 6.8% in July. The rate was down from a recent high of 7.9% in December 2025 and was the lowest rate for this province since July 2024.
Employment in Quebec was little changed both in July and compared with 12 months earlier and the unemployment rate was also little changed at 5.6% over the same periods.
Employment in British Columbia was up by 18,000 (+0.6%) in July, continuing an upward trend since May. The unemployment rate in British Columbia (6.2%) was down for the second consecutive month in July from a recent high of 6.8% in May 2026.
Read Robert Half Job Market Updates to get a full picture of Canada’s Labour Force:
Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: June Labour Force SurveyUpdate on the 2026 Canada Job Market: May Labour Force SurveyUpdate on the 2026 Canada Job Market: April Labour Force Survey
In the spotlight: Hiring managers looking to increase hiring during second half of 2026
A new Robert Half survey of more than 1,360 Canadian hiring managers found that 58 per cent said they plan to increase permanent hiring during the second half of the year.
45 per cent also expect to hire contract professionals to access specialized expertise, support priority initiatives and keep critical work moving.
Despite this growing demand, employers continue to struggle to find professionals with the specialized skills they need, while skills shortages continue to impact business execution.
In fact, 56 per cent of companies have experienced significant project delays in the last year, and 48 per cent have cancelled projects because they lacked the necessary skills.
Read the press release
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The 2026 Canada Salary Guide From Robert Half covers Canadian hiring and compensation trends across the six fields as well, incorporating exclusive data and input from surveys of thousands of Canadian workers and hiring managers, along with salary information for professionals we’ve matched with employers across the country.
Whether you’re launching a job search, actively hiring talent or developing a staffing strategy for your business, there’s no better source of insights into today’s salary and hiring trends.
