Canada’s Unemployment Remains 7.1% Through September 2025, Youth Unemployment Ticks Up

Regional Insights from the September 2025 Labour Market Data

Unemployment remained below the national average in Saskatchewan, BC, Manitoba, Nova Scotia, and Quebec. Though it did increase slightly in BC and Manitoba, and more dramatically in Saskatchewan. Quebec now boasts Canada’s lowest provincial unemployment rate, at 5.7%.

Ontario’s unemployment rate remains elevated at 7.9% (a .2% increase from August), with Toronto maintaining its high unemployment rate of 8.9% through August and September. Newcomers who are moving to Canada soon and are considering Toronto as a landing destination may be wise to look outside of Toronto for better job prospects, especially outside of in-demand sectors.

Provincial Unemployment Rates Across Canada in September 2025

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

• Alberta (7.8%)

• British Columbia (6.4%)

• Manitoba (6.2%)

• New Brunswick (8.1%)

• Newfoundland and Labrador (10.6%)

• Nova Scotia (6.2%)

• Ontario (7.9%)

• Prince Edward Island (9.7%)

• Quebec (5.7%)

• Saskatchewan (6.0%)

Changes in Provincial Unemployment from August to September 2025

Immigration Spotlight: Overqualification Increases among Recent Immigrants

The recent StatsCan data revealed a fairly startling increase in over-qualification in employment among recent immigrants. The data shows that 34.7% of recent immigrants indicated that they are over-qualified for their current role, this is 4.2% higher than this time last year. Many of the newcomers who reported this worked in sales and service, and business, finance, and administration roles.

Most concerningly, the proportion of Canadian-born workers who felt they are over-qualified for their role decreased during this time, to 18.5%.

The reasons for this are likely quite complex, including higher-than-historic numbers of newcomers in recent years increasing competition, alongside Canada’s tendency to prioritize workers with Canadian work experience. But, just because there are systemic barriers, doesn’t mean there’s nothing you can do. It’s important to tailor your Canadian CV and cover letter for the Canadian workforce to really highlight your value in a way employers understand. You can find our resources covering this below.

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.

“Procurement of building materials during a potential trade war is going to create pandemic-style escalations in a construction sector that is already struggling with a prolonged period of higher rates. The addition of tariffs isn’t good news for the construction sector in Canada or the US“

 

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.

Don’t forget to complete or update your Moving2Canada profile to hear about job opportunities in your industry in Canada!

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