Job Growth

Ottawa, June 6, 2025 – Canada's unemployment rate rose to 7.0% in May, reaching its highest point since September 2016, excluding the pandemic years.  This marks the third consecutive monthly increase, with the rate up from 6.9% in April and a total rise of 0.4 percentage points since February.  Despite the uptick in unemployment, the Canadian economy added 8,800 jobs in May.  Economists noted that while the overall job market showed resilience, certain sectors, such as manufacturing, experienced declines.  Doug Porter of BMO Capital Markets highlighted the encouraging growth in full-time employment but pointed out ongoing weaknesses in specific industries. …