Labour Force Survey, April 2026
Released: 2026-05-08
Highlights
Employment was little changed in April (-18,000; -0.1%) and the employment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 60.5%.
The unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%, as more people searched for work.
Employment varied little across major age groups in April. However, the unemployment rate increased among youth aged 15 to 24 (+0.5 percentage points to 14.3%) and among core-aged men aged 25 to 54 (+0.3 percentage points to 6.1%).
Fewer people were employed in Quebec (-43,000; -0.9%), Newfoundland and Labrador (-5,200; -2.1%), Saskatchewan (-4,000; -0.6%) and New Brunswick (-2,700; -0.7%). Employment increased in Ontario (+42,000; +0.5%) and was little changed in the other provinces.
Average hourly wages among employees were up 4.5% (+$1.64 to $37.77) on a year-over-year basis in April, following growth of 4.7% in March (not seasonally adjusted).
Employment varies little for second consecutive month
Employment was little changed in April (-18,000; -0.1%). This marked the second consecutive month of little variation following the monthly decline of 84,000 (-0.4%) in February. On a year-over-year basis, employment in April was up by 67,000 (+0.3%), but recorded a net decline of 112,000 (-0.5%) over the first four months of 2026.
Chart 1
Employment rate declines in April
The employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—decreased by 0.1 percentage points to 60.5% in April, matching a recent low observed in August 2025. The rate was down 0.3 percentage points on a year-over-year basis in April.
Infographic 1
Employment rate by age group, April 2026
In April, full-time employment fell by 47,000 (-0.3%), while part-time employment edged up (+29,000; +0.8%). The net overall decline in employment over the first four months of 2026 was concentrated in full-time work, which fell by 111,000 (-0.6%) over the period.
There was little change in the number of private and public sector employees as well as in the number of self-employed workers in April. Compared with 12 months earlier, the number of private sector employees was up by 91,000 (+0.7%), while self-employment was down by 55,000 (-2.0%). Public sector employment was little changed over the period.
Unemployment rate rises to 6.9%
In April, the unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%, as more people searched for work (+51,000; +3.4%). The unemployment rate has increased 0.4 percentage points since January 2026, but remained below the recent peak of 7.1% observed in August and September of 2025. On a year-over-year basis, the unemployment rate was virtually unchanged in April 2026.
Chart 2
Unemployment rate increases to 6.9% in April
The proportion of unemployed people who had been continuously searching for work for 27 weeks or more—considered long-term unemployment—was 22.5% in April. This proportion was little changed both in the month and compared with 12 months earlier. However, it remained significantly above the pre-COVID-19 pandemic average of 17.1% observed from 2017 to 2019.
At the same time, the monthly layoff rate (0.6%) in April remained in-line with the pre-pandemic average, showing no recent elevation (not seasonally adjusted).
Labour force participation up in April
The participation rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who were employed or looking for work—rose by 0.1 percentage points to 65.0% in April as more people were in the labour force searching for work. The increase was concentrated among core-aged people, whose labour force participation rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 88.5%.
On a year-over-year basis, the overall labour force participation rate was down 0.3 percentage points in April. This mostly reflected population aging which has put downward pressure on the labour supply, as more individuals have transitioned into retirement. Among core-aged people, the labour force participation rate was up 0.3 percentage points year over year, while for youth aged 15 to 24, it was little changed.
Youth unemployment rate increases
The youth (15 to 24 years) unemployment rate rose by 0.5 percentage points to 14.3% in April, as employment varied little and the number of young people searching for work edged up (+14,000; +3.3%). The youth unemployment rate was virtually unchanged on a year-over-year basis but remained markedly above the pre-pandemic average of 10.8%.
Infographic 2
Unemployment rate by age group, April 2026
In April, the youth unemployment rate for students was 16.0%, 2.5 percentage points higher than the corresponding rate for non-students (13.5%) (not seasonally adjusted). Both rates were little changed on a year-over-year basis.
In addition to the elevated unemployment rate, the overall youth labour force participation rate was 62.9% in April, virtually unchanged from a year earlier but below the pre-pandemic average of 65.4%.
Compared with the pre-pandemic average, the participation rate was down for youth who were attending school (-1.4 percentage points to 45.3%) while it was little changed for those not attending school (87.6%) (not seasonally adjusted). At the same time, a higher proportion of youth were attending school compared with before the pandemic, which also contributed to a lower labour force participation rate for this age group.
Employment holds steady among core-aged workers but unemployment rate rises for men
Among people of core working age (25 to 54 years), both men and women saw little variation in employment in April. For core-aged men, the unemployment rate rose 0.3 percentage points to 6.1% as more men in this age group searched for work.
The unemployment rate for core-aged women was 5.9% in April, virtually unchanged in the month and from 12 months earlier.
Among people aged 55 years and older, the unemployment rate was unchanged at 4.9% in April and was down 0.5 percentage points compared with April of the previous year.
Average hourly wages rise 4.5% year over year
Average hourly wages among employees in April were up 4.5% year over year, following growth of 4.7% in March (not seasonally adjusted). In comparison, year-over-year wage increases averaged 3.4% in 2025.
Wage growth was stronger for employees with higher wages, on a year-over-year basis in April. For employees in the bottom 25% of the wage distribution, wages rose 3.5% (to $19.05) on a year-over-year basis in April. In comparison, average hourly wages grew more rapidly among employees in the second-lowest 25% of the wage distribution (+4.4% to $27.52), as well as the third (+4.9% to $39.06) and the top (+4.8% to $66.30) quartiles.
The recent acceleration in overall hourly wage growth largely reflected changes in the composition of employment, including a lower proportion of employees with shorter job tenure. Using a method that holds constant the composition of employees by occupation and job tenure, average hourly wages were up by 3.4% on a year-over-year basis in April, similar to the rate of growth observed in March (+3.6%) and February 2026 (+3.5%).
Employment gains year-over-year concentrated in health care and social assistance
On a month-over-month basis, employment decreases in April were concentrated in information, culture and recreation (-25,000; -2.8%), construction (-16,000; -1.0%), and in 'other services' (-13,000; -1.6%), an industry which includes repair and maintenance as well as personal services.
Chart 3
Employment change by industry, April 2026
On the other hand, employment increased in business, building and other support services (+22,000; +3.2%), health care and social assistance (+18,000; +0.6%) and in accommodation and food services (+13,000; +1.1%).
On a year-over-year basis, employment was little changed across most industries in April, with the notable exception of health care and social assistance, which was up 119,000 (+4.1%) over the period.
Employment falls in Quebec, rises in Ontario
In Quebec, employment fell in April (-43,000; -0.9%), the second significant monthly decline in the past three months. From January to April, employment in Quebec recorded a net decline of 91,000 (-1.9%). This was primarily concentrated in the Montréal census metropolitan area (CMA), where employment fell by 56,000 (-2.3%) over the same period.
Map 1
Unemployment rate by province and territory, April 2026
The unemployment rate in Quebec rose by 0.8 percentage points to 6.2% in April, as fewer people were employed and more people searched for work. This matched the recent peak observed in June 2025. In the Montréal CMA, the unemployment rate rose 1.3 percentage points to 7.7% in April, its highest rate since July 2016 (excluding 2020 and 2021).
Employment also declined in Newfoundland and Labrador (-5,200; -2.1%), Saskatchewan (-4,000; -0.6%), and New Brunswick (-2,700; -0.7%) in April. The unemployment rate increased in Saskatchewan (+0.6 percentage points to 5.6%) and was little changed in Newfoundland and Labrador (10.0%) and New Brunswick (7.2%). Despite little variation in employment, the unemployment rate declined by 0.6 percentage points to 5.0% in Manitoba, the lowest rate across the provinces.
Employment rose in Ontario (+42,000; +0.5%) in April, following two consecutive months of little variation. The gain in April partially offsets the decline recorded in January (-67,000; -0.8%). The unemployment rate in Ontario edged down 0.1 percentage points to 7.5% in April.
Sustainable Development Goals
On January 1, 2016, the world officially began implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development—the United Nations' transformative plan of action that addresses urgent global challenges over the next 15 years. The plan is based on 17 specific sustainable development goals.
The Labour Force Survey is an example of how Statistics Canada supports the reporting on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. This release will be used in helping to measure the following goals:
Note to readers
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimates for April reflect labour market conditions during the reference week of April 12 to 18, 2026.
The sample size of the LFS is approximately 65,000 households, representing over 100,000 respondents each month. For more information, see the Guide to the Labour Force Survey.
This analysis focuses on differences between estimates that are statistically significant at the 68% confidence level. Monthly estimates may show more sampling variability than trends observed over longer periods. For more information, see "Interpreting Monthly Changes in Employment from the Labour Force Survey."
LFS estimates at the Canada level do not include the territories.
The LFS estimates are the first in a series of labour market indicators released by Statistics Canada, which includes indicators from programs such as the Survey of Employment, Payrolls and Hours (SEPH); Employment Insurance Statistics; and the Job Vacancy and Wage Survey. For more information on the conceptual differences between employment measures from the LFS and those from the SEPH, refer to section 8 of the Guide to the Labour Force Survey.
The employment rate is the number of employed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and older. The rate for a particular group (for example, youth aged 15 to 24 years) is the number employed in that group as a percentage of the population for that group.
The unemployment rate is the number of unemployed people as a percentage of the labour force (employed and unemployed).
The participation rate is the number of employed and unemployed people as a percentage of the population aged 15 years and older.
Full-time employment consists of persons who usually work 30 hours or more per week at their main or only job.
Part-time employment consists of persons who usually work less than 30 hours per week at their main or only job.
Total hours worked refers to the number of hours actually worked at the main job by the respondent during the reference week, including paid and unpaid hours. These hours reflect temporary decreases or increases in work hours (for example, hours lost due to illness, vacation, holidays or weather; or more hours worked due to overtime).
This release refers to the gender of a person. The category "men" includes men, as well as some non-binary persons. The category "women" includes women, as well as some non-binary persons. Given that the non-binary population is small, data aggregation to a two-category gender variable is necessary to protect the confidentiality of responses provided.
Seasonal adjustment
Unless otherwise stated, estimates presented in this release are seasonally adjusted, which facilitates comparisons by removing the effects of typical seasonal variations. For more information on seasonal adjustment, see Seasonally adjusted data – Frequently asked questions.
Population totals in the Labour Force Survey
The LFS target population includes all persons aged 15 years and older whose usual place of residence is in Canada, with some exceptions (those living on reserves, full-time members of the regular Armed Forces and persons living in institutions). The target population includes temporary residents—that is, those with a valid work or study permit, their families, and refugee claimants—as well as permanent residents (landed immigrants) and the Canadian-born.
Information gathered from LFS respondents is weighted to represent the survey target population using population calibration totals. These totals are updated each month, using the most recently available information on population changes derived from Canada's official population estimates, with minor adjustments being made to reflect the LFS target population.
While the LFS population totals are generally aligned with official demographic estimates, the official estimates should be considered the official measure of population change in Canada. More information on how population totals in the LFS are calculated can be found in the article "Interpreting population totals from the Labour Force Survey."
Next release
The next release of the LFS will be on June 5, 2026. May 2026 data will reflect labour market conditions during the week of May 10 to 16.
Products
More information about the concepts and use of the Labour Force Survey is available online in the Guide to the Labour Force Survey (71-543-G).
The product "Labour Force Survey in brief: Interactive app" (14200001) is also available. This interactive visualization application provides seasonally adjusted estimates by province, gender, age group and industry.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province and census metropolitan area, seasonally adjusted" (71-607-X) is also available. This interactive dashboard provides customizable access to key labour market indicators.
The product "Labour Market Indicators, by province, territory and economic region, unadjusted for seasonality" (71-607-X) is also available. This dynamic web application provides access to labour market indicators for Canada, provinces, territories and economic regions.
The product "Labour market indicators, census metropolitan areas, census agglomerations and self-contained labour areas: Interactive dashboard" (71-607-X) is also available. This dashboard allows users to visually explore the estimates using an interactive map as well as time series charts and tables.
The product Labour Force Survey: Public Use Microdata File (71M0001X) is also available. This public use microdata file contains non-aggregated data for a wide variety of variables collected from the Labour Force Survey. The data have been modified to ensure that no individual or business is directly or indirectly identified. This product is for users who prefer to do their own analysis by focusing on specific subgroups in the population or by cross-classifying variables that are not in our catalogued products.
Contact information
For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact us (toll-free 1-800-263-1136; 514-283-8300; infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).
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