Job Gains and Losses in June 2026
Statistics Canada’s June 2026 Labour Force Survey saw some shifts in a few industries. Employment in accommodation and food services rose by 15,000 (+1.2%) in June, the third consecutive monthly increase. On a year-over-year basis, employment in accommodation and food services was up by 39,000 (+3.4%).
On the other hand, employment in manufacturing decreased by 17,000 (-0.9%) in June, offsetting the increase in May (+15,000; +0.8%). Employment in manufacturing has recorded a net decline of 61,000 (-3.2%) from the recent peak in January 2025, coinciding with a period of tariff-related uncertainty for the sector.
Other notable employment changes include:
Wholesale and retail trade (+16,400 jobs)Information, culture and recreation (+9,300 jobs)Transportation and warehousing (+7,300 jobs)
There were a few other notable decreases in this time as well. Construction saw a decline of about 12,900 jobs, and agriculture saw a decline by 7,600 jobs.
Canada’s employment holds steady
Employment was little changed in June (+18,000; +0.1%), following an increase of 88,000 (+0.4%) in May. On a year-over-year basis, employment was up by 99,000 (+0.5%) in June, driven by a net increase in full-time employment (+131,000; +0.8%).
The employment rate (the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed) rose 0.1 percentage points to 60.8% in June. The employment rate in June matched the rate observed at the start of the year (60.8% in January) and was little changed on a year-over-year basis.
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: up to 1.9% (from 1.3%)Business, finance, and administration occupations: up to 2.8% (from 2.7%)Natural and applied sciences and related occupations: down to 2.7% (from 2.9%)Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services: up to 2.6% (from 2.2%)Sales and services occupations, except management: down to 4.2% (from 4.7%)
Provincial unemployment breakdown June 2026
Unemployment rates by province:
Canada: 6.5 per cent (-0.1 per cent)Newfoundland and Labrador: 8.2 per cent (-1.4 per cent)Prince Edward Island: 7.6 per cent (+.9 per cent)Nova Scotia: 6.5 per cent (–0.6 per cent)New Brunswick: 7.3 per cent (+0.1 per cent)Quebec: 5.4 per cent (-0.2 per cent)Ontario: 7.0 per cent (0.0 per cent)Manitoba: 5.4 per cent (-0.1 per cent)Saskatchewan: 6.1 per cent (-0.1 per cent)Alberta: 7.0 per cent (+0.4 per cent)British Columbia: 6.5 per cent (-0.3 per cent)Yukon: 7.3 per cent (+1.0 per cent)Northwest Territories: 8.1 per cent (+0.2 per cent)Nunavut: 11.6 per cent (+0.9 per cent)
In Ontario, employment varied little in June following a cumulative increase of 84,000 (+1.0%) over the previous two months. The unemployment rate in the province was 7.0%, unchanged from May but down 0.8 percentage points from 12 months earlier.
Employment in Quebec edged up in June (+14,000; +0.3%) for a second consecutive month, following a net decline of 91,000 (-1.9%) from January to April. The unemployment rate in the province was 5.4% in June, little changed compared with the previous month but down 0.8 percentage points from the recent peak of 6.2% recorded in April.
Employment was also little changed in British Columbia in June, after increasing in May (+25,000; +0.9%). The unemployment rate in the province fell 0.3 percentage points to 6.5% in June.
Read Robert Half Job Market Updates to get a full picture of Canada’s Labour Force:
2026 Canada Job Market: May Labour Force Survey2026 Canada Job Market: April Labour Force Survey2026 Canada Job Market: March Labour Force Survey
In the spotlight: More than 4 in 10 Canadian professionals plan to look for a new job in the second half of 2026
A new Robert Half survey of more than 1,500 Canadian professionals found that 44 per cent plan to look for a new job in the next six months, up from 33 per cent in the first half of 2026 and 26 per cent one year ago.
These professionals were motivated by:
Better benefits and perks: 38%Career advancement opportunities: 38%Feeling underpaid based on skillset: 33%
AI has complicated their job search, however, as 51 per cent of respondents looking for new roles say AI-generated applications have intensified competition for open roles, and 46 per cent are concerned about keeping their skills current as AI evolves.
Read the press release
Numbers you can count on
Access the Guide
Our latest Demand for Skilled Talent report provides Canadian employers with the latest employment trends and challenges across six professional fields: finance and accounting, technology, marketing and creative, legal, administrative and customer support, and human resources.
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.
