Canada’s unemployment rate edged up to 6.4% in June, a 0.2 percentage point increase from the previous month and a 1.3 percentage point rise since April 2023.
Despite this, overall employment remained stable, with a minor decline of 1,400 jobs, keeping the employment rate at 61.1%.
Employment among young men aged 15 to 24 fell by 13,000, while core-aged women (25 to 54) saw an increase of 19,000 jobs. The transportation and warehousing sector experienced a decline of 12,000 positions, and public administration lost 8,800 jobs. In contrast, accommodation and food services gained 17,000 jobs, and agriculture added 12,000 positions.
Sector-specific trends
Transportation and warehousing recorded its second consecutive month of job losses, with a reduction of 12,000 positions in June. Public administration also saw a decrease of 8,800 jobs, marking its first decline since August 2023.
Meanwhile, the accommodation and food services sector continued its growth, adding 17,000 jobs, and the agriculture sector saw its first increase since July 2023, gaining 12,000 positions.
Demographic shifts
The youth employment rate has been on a downward trend since April 2023, with a notable drop of 4.4 percentage points to 54.8% in June 2024. Core-aged men’s employment rate fell by 0.5 percentage points to 86.6%, while core-aged women’s employment rate held steady at 80.6%.
The employment rate for returning students aged 15 to 24 was 46.8%, the lowest since June 1998, excluding the pandemic-affected year of 2020. The unemployment rate for returning students was 15.9%, up 3.8 percentage points from a year earlier.
Wage growth and telework trends
Average hourly wages for employees increased by 5.4% year-over-year in June, with women seeing a 5.2% rise and men experiencing a 5.5% increase. The trend towards telework continued to evolve, with 15.1% of employees usually working from home in June 2024, down from 21.5% in June 2022. However, those reporting to a remote work location made up a growing share of this group.
Provincial employment changes
Quebec saw a decline of 18,000 jobs in June, while New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador posted increases of 3,000 and 2,600 jobs, respectively. Ontario’s employment remained relatively stable, but the unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 7.0%.
These figures highlight the ongoing adjustments in Canada’s labour market as various sectors and demographics experience different impacts.
| Province | June 2024 Unemployment Rate | % Change from May 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 9.2% | -0.7 |
| Prince Edward Island | 8.0% | 0.9 |
| Nova Scotia | 6.6% | 0.2 |
| New Brunswick | 7.7% | 0.2 |
| Quebec | 5.7% | 0.6 |
| Ontario | 7.0% | 0.3 |
| Manitoba | 5.1% | 0.2 |
| Saskatchewan | 5.5% | -0.1 |
| Alberta | 7.1% | -0.1 |
| British Columbia | 5.2% | -0.4 |
Unemployment rates by city, lowest to highest
| City | June 2024 Unemployment Rate | % Change from May 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Saguenay, Quebec | 2.5% | 0.7 |
| Peterborough, Ontario | 3.2% | -1.3 |
| Québec, Quebec | 3.2% | 0.0 |
| Victoria, British Columbia | 3.8% | -0.9 |
| Sherbrooke, Quebec | 3.9% | -0.4 |
| Thunder Bay, Ontario | 3.0% | -0.4 |
| Guelph, Ontario | 3.7% | -0.5 |
| Moncton, New Brunswick | 5.3% | 0.1 |
| Kingston, Ontario | 5.3% | -0.5 |
| Saskatoon, Saskatchewan | 5.3% | 0.0 |
| Barrie, Ontario | 5.8% | -0.3 |
| Greater Sudbury, Ontario | 5.7% | 0.4 |
| Halifax, Nova Scotia | 5.8% | 0.3 |
| Edmonton, Alberta | 7.1% | 0.5 |
| Winnipeg, Manitoba | 5.0% | 0.0 |
| Hamilton, Ontario | 7.3% | 0.3 |
| Kitchener–Cambridge–Waterloo, Ontario | 6.2% | 0.1 |
| Abbotsford–Mission, British Columbia | 6.0% | 0.5 |
| Oshawa, Ontario | 6.0% | 0.8 |
| Montréal, Quebec | 6.2% | 0.4 |
| Ottawa–Gatineau, Quebec part | 6.0% | 0.7 |
| Ottawa–Gatineau, Ontario part | 6.0% | 0.5 |
| Saint John, New Brunswick | 8.3% | 0.5 |
| Regina, Saskatchewan | 7.0% | 0.0 |
| Lethbridge, Alberta | 5.1% | -0.7 |
| St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador | 7.7% | 0.4 |
| London, Ontario | 6.2% | -0.1 |
| Belleville, Ontario | 6.2% | 0.8 |
| Calgary, Alberta | 8.5% | 0.4 |
| Toronto, Ontario | 7.8% | -0.1 |
| St. Catharines–Niagara, Ontario | 8.4% | 0.5 |
| Windsor, Ontario | 9.1% | 0.6 |
