Canada’s Unemployment Rate Rises to 6.8% in December

Regional Insights from the December 2025 Labour Market Data

Employment improved in Quebec, with 16,000 jobs added. Outside of Quebec, Alberta and Saskatchewan saw overall losses in employment,  while employment in other provinces stayed largely the same as November.

Turning to Canada’s larger job markets, unemployment in Toronto remained relatively high at 8.1% but has shown improvements from earlier in the year (when rates were above 9%). Unemployment ticked up to 6.5% in Vancouver, and 6.1% in Montreal — despite overall employment improving across Quebec.

Provincial Unemployment Rates Across Canada in December 2025

Here are the provincial unemployment rates in Canada, based on StatsCan data from December 2025:

• Alberta: 6.8%

• British Columbia: 6.4%

• Manitoba: 5.7%

• New Brunswick: 6.6%

• Newfoundland and Labrador: 10.7%

• Nova Scotia: 6.5% 

• Ontario: 7.9%

• Prince Edward Island: 7.3%

• Quebec: 5.5%

• Saskatchewan: 6.5%

Changes in Provincial Unemployment from November to December 2025

Recent Immigrants More Likely To Work in Digital Economy

Around 8.4% of newcomers to Canada had worked through an internet platform or app between December 2024-December 2025, the latest StatsCan data reveals. This is around 6x higher than the rate of Canadian-born people working using these apps.

The main reasons people choose to work through digital platforms is to:

• Supplement income from a main job or to earn extra money,
• Difficulty in finding work, and
• Flexible working hours.

Expert resources to help immigrants get jobs in Canada

Canada’s job market provides a wealth of opportunity for newcomers, but it is only that — an opportunity.

To take full advantage, recent and prospective immigrants can leverage free government-funded resources and programs. We recently partnered with Canada InfoNet, a government-funded pre-arrival employment support program, to bring you two expert guides on transitioning to a career in Canada:

• Transitioning to the Canadian job market
• How to find a career mentor in Canada

The outlook on Canadian construction and infrastructure

Ruairi Spillaine, Outpost Recruitment and Moving2Canada founder, analyzes what’s happening in the construction sector in Canada.

“Canada’s construction sector continues to provide opportunities to experienced candidates who can differentiate themselves in a tighter employment market. While commercial and residential sectors are slower, institutional buildings and a buoyant infrastructure sector continue to drive employment opportunities from coast to coast. Meanwhile, Canada’s industrial sector including nuclear, mining and renewables is set for a strong 2026.“

 

If you are interested in working in Canada’s construction sector, Outpost helps motivated candidates find suitable jobs in Canada.

The agency works with general contractors, subcontractors, developers, and consultants who are hiring across senior management, operations, project management, site, design, quality, and commercial personnel.

Outpost Recruitment is actively looking for candidates for projects across Canada. View the latest job postings here.

How to get a job in Canada

If you’re looking for a job in Canada here are some steps you can take to land that sweet, sweet Canadian job offer.

• Get your resume in good shape. This crucial step is often left down the list of job seekers’ priorities, despite being arguably the most important step of all. Read our Canadian resume guide to get going.
• Start looking at open opportunities. Some companies are still hiring. Don’t believe us? Head over to our Jobs Board, populated daily with new positions across Canada.
• Build your network. You can assemble a team to help you in your job search. With ongoing physical distancing and travel restrictions, technology is your friend here. Read our networking guide, written by award-winning entrepreneur Ruairi Spillane, for expert advice.

Here’s a popular webinar from recruitment expert and Moving2Canada founder, Ruairi Spillane, about how to create the best resume for the Canadian jobs market:

New and improved Jobs Board

We have worked hard over recent weeks to ramp up the number and range of job postings on our Jobs Board.

We also have a number of other resources for helping you find your career in Canada. You’ll find broad-stroke information that will arm you with the knowledge you need to succeed, as well as industry-specific insights into finding jobs by industry, such as teaching.

Want to dig deeper into the Canada Jobs Report data? Try these interactive tools, courtesy of StatsCan.

Join the Moving2Canada Community

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