Canada’s unemployment rate rose to 6.9 per cent in April as the economy lost 18,000 jobs and more people searched for work.
The data, released by Statistics Canada on Friday, showed that the unemployment rate increased to 14.3 per cent among youth aged 15 to 24 and 6.1 per cent among men aged 25 to 54.
The economy has now lost 112,000 jobs over the first four months of 2026, mostly concentrated in Quebec, which has lost 87,000 jobs so far this year.
Average hourly wages were up 4.5 per cent on a year-over-year basis in April, following a 4.7 per cent year-over-year increase in March.
While employment increased in Ontario, fewer people were employed in Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick. There was little change in the other provinces and territories.
More to come …