Employment Holds Steady in Canada for April 2025, Unemployment Rate Rises Slightly

Employment in Canada changed little in April 2025, with 20,969,000 people employed and the unemployment rate rising to 6.9%, according to the Labour Force Survey released by Statistics Canada.

The survey's findings are notable for residents tracking economic trends, as employment stability and changes in unemployment rates affect job availability, wages, and local economies.

Statistics Canada reported that national employment was up by 7,400, a 0.0% change compared to March 2025. The unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, as confirmed by the release. All figures are seasonally adjusted.

Provincially, Ontario experienced a loss of 35,000 jobs (-0.4%), with its unemployment rate increasing by 0.3 percentage points to 7.8%. Quebec gained 18,000 jobs (+0.4%), but its unemployment rate also rose by 0.3 percentage points to 6.0%. Alberta added 15,000 jobs (+0.6%) and maintained its unemployment rate at 7.1%. Newfoundland and Labrador gained 3,800 jobs (+1.6%), with the unemployment rate falling by 0.4 percentage points to 9.6%. In Nova Scotia, employment declined by 8,500 (-1.6%) and the unemployment rate increased by 1.1 percentage points to 7.2%.

Other provinces reported the following changes for April 2025: Manitoba added 5,700 jobs (+0.8%) with its unemployment rate falling to 5.3% (-0.7 points), Saskatchewan increased by 2,600 jobs (+0.4%) and the rate dropped to 4.3% (-0.6 points), and British Columbia saw a 0.2% employment rise with the unemployment rate at 6.2% (+0.1 points).

By age group, employment decreased among core-aged women (25 to 54 years) by 60,000 (-0.9%), while core-aged men saw an increase of 24,000 (+0.3%). Employment grew among those aged 55 and older by 35,000 (+0.8%), with both women (+1.0%) and men (+0.7%) in this group seeing gains.

In terms of industry, Statistics Canada noted that manufacturing employment fell by 31,000 nationally (-1.6%), led by a decline in Ontario. Employment in wholesale and retail trade dropped by 27,000 (-0.9%). Public administration employment rose by 37,000 (+3.0%), which Statistics Canada attributed to temporary hiring related to the April federal election. The finance, insurance, real estate, rental, and leasing sector added 24,000 jobs (+1.6%).

The average hourly wage among employees in April was $36.13, an increase of 3.4% compared to one year prior. Total hours worked nationally increased by 0.4% over March and 0.9% over the past year.

The Labour Force Survey also collected information on job security expectations. In April, 13.2% of employees (aged 15 to 69) anticipated staff levels at their workplace decreasing over the next six months, with 18.6% of workers in export-dependent industries sharing this expectation. Additionally, 7.7% of employees believed they might lose their main job, a proportion that was higher at 9.6% among youth (15 to 24 years) and 8.9% among export-dependent industry workers.

The Labour Force Survey reference week for these findings was April 13 to April 19, 2025. Statistics Canada notes that these estimates are based on sample surveys and may vary month to month.