Employment was little changed in April (+7,400; +0.0%) and the employment rate declined 0.1 percentage points to 60.8%. The unemployment rate increased by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%, according to the latest Statistics Canada report which was released on Friday.
In April, employment fell among core-aged (25 to 54 years old) women (-60,000; -0.9%), while it increased among people aged 55 years and older (+35,000; +0.8%) and core-aged men (+24,000; +0.3%), said the federal agency.
In April, employment fell in manufacturing (-31,000; -1.6%) and in wholesale and retail trade (-27,000; -0.9%). Employment increased in public administration (+37,000; +3.0%), coinciding with the hiring of temporary workers for activities related to the recent federal election. Employment also increased in finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (+24,000; +1.6%), it explained.
Employment declined in Ontario (-35,000; -0.4%) and Nova Scotia (-8,500; -1.6%), while it rose in Quebec (+18,000; +0.4%), Alberta (+15,000; +0.6%), Manitoba (+5,700; +0.8%) and Newfoundland and Labrador (+3,800; +1.6%). Employment was little changed in the other provinces, added Statistics Canada.
Total hours worked increased 0.4% in April and were up 0.9% compared with 12 months earlier. Average hourly wages among employees increased 3.4% (+$1.20 to $36.13) on a year-over-year basis in April, following growth of 3.6% in March (not seasonally adjusted), noted the report.
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“Following a decline of 0.2 percentage points in March, the employment rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who are employed—fell a further 0.1 percentage points in April. This brought the employment rate to 60.8%, matching a recent low recorded in October 2024,” said Statistics Canada.
“The employment rate trended down for most of 2023 and 2024, as population growth outpaced employment gains. More recently, the employment rate had increased for three consecutive months from November 2024 to January 2025, driven by strong employment gains amid slower population growth.
“Employment in the public sector increased by 23,000 (+0.5%) in April, following three consecutive months of little change. Public sector employment growth in April was associated with temporary hiring for the federal election. The number of employees in the private sector was little changed in April, following a decline in March (-48,000; -0.3%). Self-employment was little changed for a third consecutive month in April.”
The unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.9% in April, following an increase of 0.1 percentage points in March. With these increases, the unemployment rate has returned to its level of November 2024, which was the highest since January 2017 (excluding the years 2020 and 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic), said StatsCan.
“The number of unemployed people—those looking for work or on temporary layoff—increased by 39,000 (+2.6%) in April and was up by 189,000 (+13.9%) on a year-over-year basis,” said the report.
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“People who were unemployed continued to face more difficulties finding work in April than a year earlier. Among those who were unemployed in March, 61.0% remained unemployed in April, higher than the corresponding proportion for the same months in 2024 (57.3%) (not seasonally adjusted).
“The share of workers being laid off may increase during periods of economic downturn or disruption. Among those who were employed in March 2025, 0.7% had become unemployed in April due to a layoff. This proportion was little changed from the same period in 2024 (0.6%) (not seasonally adjusted).
“There were more people in the labour force in April, and the participation rate—the proportion of the population aged 15 and older who were employed or looking for work—increased by 0.1 percentage points to 65.3%. Despite the increase in the month, the participation rate was down 0.4 percentage points on a year-over-year basis.”
Mario Toneguzzi
Mario Toneguzzi is Managing Editor of Canada’s Entrepreneur. He has more than 40 years of experience as a daily newspaper writer, columnist, and editor. He was named in 2021 and 2024 as one of the top business journalists in the world by PR News. He was also named by RETHINK to its global list of Top Retail Experts 2024 and 2025.
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