Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: September Labour Force Survey

Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey for September 2026 reported that employment decreased by 68,000 jobs (-0.3%), following a decline of 42,000 jobs in August. The unemployment rate rose 0.1 percentage points to 6.5%, while the employment rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 60.6%.

On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was unchanged in September.

Employment among private sector employees was little changed in September, while public sector employment fell by 70,000 (-1.5%). Self-employment was sightly down in the month.

September labour force release 68K jobs decrease, 6.5% unemployment rate, 94.9K employment gains YoY

For more context on the Canada job market's evolution over the past three months, check out the previous updates:

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: August Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: July Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: June Labour Force Survey

Read the latest Robert Half Labour Market Overview Insights on Canada’s job market data, updated monthly.

Job gains and losses in September 2026

Statistics Canada’s September 2026 Labour Force Survey saw employment decline for a second consecutive month, with notable shifts across several industries.

Employment declined in educational services by 35,000 jobs, health care and social assistance by 23,000 jobs, and manufacturing by 13,000 jobs in September.

Other services, which include repair and maintenance as well as personal and household services, was the only sector to record a notable increase, adding 17,000 jobs.

Other notable employment changes include:

Information, culture and recreation (-11,000 jobs)

Wholesale and retail trade (-9,600 jobs)

Finance, insurance, rental and leasing (-3,900 jobs)

Canada’s employment holds steady

Employment saw a decrease in September (-68,000; -0.3%), following a decrease of 42,000 (-0.2%) in August.

The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased by 0.2 percentage points to 60.6% in September. On a year-over-year basis, the employment rate was unchanged.

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 1.6% (from 1.5%)

Business, finance, and administration occupations: up to 3.0% (from 2.9%)

Natural and applied sciences and related occupations: up to 2.8% (from 2.6%)

Occupations in education, law and social, community and government services:  down to 2.9% (from 9.3%)

Sales and services occupations, except management: up to 4.0% (from 3.9%)

Provincial unemployment breakdown September 2026

Unemployment rates by province:

Canada: 6.5 per cent (+0.1 per cent)

Newfoundland and Labrador: 7.7 per cent (no change from previous month)

Prince Edward Island: 5.5 per cent (-0.9 per cent)

Nova Scotia: 5.7 per cent (+1.2 per cent)

New Brunswick: 6.8 per cent (+1.2 per cent)

Quebec: 5.4 per cent (-0.9 per cent)

Ontario: 6.8 per cent (+1.1 per cent)

Manitoba: 4.6 per cent (+1.8 per cent)

Saskatchewan: 4.8 per cent (+2.5 per cent)

Alberta: 6.1 per cent (+1.4 per cent)

British Columbia: 6.2 per cent (+1.1per cent)

Employment decreased in Quebec (-49,000; -1.1%), British Columbia (-20,000; -0.7%) and Manitoba (-4,400; -0.6%) in September. Employment increased in Alberta (+23,000; +0.9%), Newfoundland and Labrador (+1,800; +0.7%), and Prince Edward Island (+1,000; +1.0%).

In September, Quebec recorded the largest provincial employment decline, while Alberta posted the largest provincial increase. Ontario’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 7.0%.

Read Robert Half Job Market Updates to get a full picture of Canada’s Labour Force:

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: August Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: July Labour Force Survey

Update on the 2026 Canada Job Market: June Labour Force Survey

In the spotlight: Compensation trends shaping hiring

Six in 10 organizations are modestly increasing compensation budgets to help attract and retain in-demand talent despite ongoing cost pressures. Other insights include:

55% are offering salaries above their planned range to secure top talent, with 61% citing specialized skills as a key reason.

63% are offering higher pay for relevant AI skills, including 32% that are willing to pay more for AI-related expertise than for other technical skills.

Source: 2027 Canada Salary Guide from Robert Half. Survey of more than 1,360 hiring managers across Canada.

Numbers you can count on

Get the Report

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.

Access the Guide

The 2027 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.