Last Updated On 6 October 2023, 7:53 PM EDT (Toronto Time)
According to a new Canada jobs report from StatCan today, the country’s unemployment rate for the month of September 2023 remains at 5.5%.
However, three major provinces with most of the Canadian population (more than 75%)—Ontario, Quebec, and British Columbia (B.C.)—actually had an increase in the unemployment rate.
Table of Contents
Unemployment Rate By Province
| Province/Territory | September 2023 Unemployment Rate | August 2023 Unemployment Rate | August to September 2023 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 9.7% | 8.9% | 0.8% |
| British Columbia | 5.4% | 5.2% | 0.2% |
| Quebec | 4.4% | 4.3% | 0.1% |
| Ontario | 6.0% | 5.9% | 0.1% |
| Alberta | 5.7% | 5.7% | 0.0% |
| Nova Scotia | 6.9% | 7.0% | -0.1% |
| New Brunswick | 7.2% | 7.7% | -0.5% |
| Saskatchewan | 4.9% | 5.4% | -0.5% |
| Manitoba | 5.0% | 5.7% | -0.7% |
| Prince Edward Island | 6.3% | 7.6% | -1.3% |
The unemployment rate has continuously increased in Ontario, the largest population centre of Canada, since April 2023, except for a minimal drop in July 2023.
Unemployment Increases for South Asians and Black Canadians
The unemployment rate has risen for core-aged (between the ages of 25 and 54) South Asians and Black Canadians in the past year.
Compared to September 2022, the unemployment rate for South Asian Canadians in the core age group increased to 6.4% in September 2023.
Core-aged South Asian women’s unemployment rate increased by 2.1 percentage points to 8.2% during the same time, accounting for the majority of the increase.
Black Canadians aged 25 to 54 had an unemployment rate of 7.9% in September 2023, which was 1.1% points higher than it was a year earlier.
The majority of the cause of this was an increase in black women’s unemployment, which rose by 2.5 percentage points to 9.4% in the 12 months prior to September.
Overall Employment Increases in September 2023
After increasing by 40,000 (+0.2%) in August, employment increased further by 64,000 (+0.3%) in September 2023.
The percentage of people aged 15 and older who are employed, or the employment rate, increased by 0.1 percentage points to 62.0%, counteracting a dip in the previous month.
| Geography | Employment September | Employment August | Month-on-Month Change | Month-on-Month % Change |
| Canada | 20,270,200 | 20,206,300 | 63,900 | 0.3% |
| Ontario | 7,960,200 | 7,940,300 | 19,900 | 0.3% |
| Quebec | 4,543,200 | 4,504,500 | 38,700 | 0.9% |
| British Columbia | 2,814,300 | 2,788,600 | 25,700 | 0.9% |
| Alberta | 2,449,300 | 2,487,100 | -37,800 | -1.5% |
| Manitoba | 700,100 | 691,300 | 8,800 | 1.3% |
| Saskatchewan | 592,600 | 586,600 | 6,000 | 1.0% |
| Nova Scotia | 494,800 | 491,600 | 3,200 | 0.7% |
| New Brunswick | 386,400 | 389,100 | -2,700 | -0.7% |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 236,700 | 237,300 | -600 | -0.3% |
| Prince Edward Island | 92,600 | 89,900 | 2,700 | 3.0% |
How high is the unemployment rate in Canada?
5.5% is the unemployment rate in Canada, as per the latest Statistics Canada data for September 2023.
What is the unemployment rate in Ontario?
6% is the unemployment rate in Ontario in the month of September 2023.
How much is the unemployment rate in B.C.?
5.4% is the unemployment rate in British Columbia in September 2023.
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