Canada lost 84,000 jobs and the national unemployment rate rose to 6.7 per cent in February — 0.2 percentage points higher than the previous month, according to Statistics Canada.
The Labour Force Survey for February was released Friday, and comes after January’s report showed the unemployment rate was 6.5 per cent.
Those job losses were sharply lower than expected and the agency said Friday that February saw more than 100,000 jobs lost in full-time work, while private sector employment fell by 73,000 positions. The net job loss total of 84,000 is the final amount left over after calculating all jobs lost in the month minus the number of jobs added.
“Projections for the Canadian economy in 2026 have pointed to a soft, but steady labour market, one where it’s tough to expect the weak market for job seekers to turn around. The concern now is that looming clouds on the horizon, first from trade, and now geopolitics, start to thunder.”
This comes as the trade war and U.S. tariffs continue to hammer Canada’s economy and job market, with businesses feeling uncertain about the long term mostly holding off on expansion and hiring plans. The Iran war has also added a layer of uncertainty to global economies as oil prices skyrocket and supply chains are in jeopardy, which could put additional pressure on consumers and businesses alike.
A Reuters poll of economists heading into Friday’s release expected a slight rise in the unemployment rate but also called for a gain of 10,000 jobs last month.
The first two months of the year have seen a total of 109,000 jobs lost, including the 25,000 shed in January.
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“February’s labour report is a bit of a gut punch. The pattern we’re seeing in the labour market indicates businesses aren’t just pausing — they’re contracting,” Shannon Terrell, a personal finance expert at NerdWallet Canada, said in a statement.
February’s decline in jobs was led by youth aged 15 to 24 years old, with a drop of 47,000, and the youth unemployment rate increased by 1.3 percentage points to 14.1 per cent. The recent peak for youth unemployment was 14.6 per cent reached in September 2025, which was the highest since 2010.
Employment fell by 56,000 jobs in services-producing industries. This includes wholesale and retail trade, which Statistics Canada says has trended down since October 2025, with a total of 52,000 jobs lost.
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Twenty-eight thousand jobs were eliminated in goods-producing industries, including construction and manufacturing sectors.
There were also 14,000 jobs shed in “other services,” which includes repair and maintenance, personal care and laundry, as well as religious and advocacy activities.
Meanwhile, transportation and warehousing were among the sectors that added 10,300 jobs in February, while public administration saw 8,100 new jobs and those in utilities climbed by 1,800.
Regionally, Quebec led the job declines with a drop of 57,000, which was the first significant decrease since January 2022. The unemployment rate in Quebec also increased from 5.2 per cent to 5.9 per cent in February.
British Columbia shed 20,000 jobs, while Saskatchewan and Manitoba lost 5,500 and 4,000 jobs, respectively. Newfoundland and Labrador added 2,100 jobs.
Ontario’s employment held steady, Statistics Canada says, after 67,000 jobs were lost in January. Meanwhile, the number of Ontarians searching for work in February increased by 28,000, and the unemployment rate in the province increased 0.3 percentage points to 7.6 per cent.
“Canadians out of work face significant headwinds and may need to widen their search beyond their sector or industry. Contract work and part-time gigs may not be ideal, but you know what they say: ‘any port in a storm,'” Terrell said.
Creating Unemployment, Making Housing Unaffordable ,Flattening the Economy is what the New Liberal Party is doing for Canadians.
Actually we are the same old Party ,we just put a different color of lipstick on.
Elbows wherever, who cares.
Lots of Conservative losers on this site today.
I actually think that number is reasonable, considering we’re in an involuntary trade war with the world’s biggest economy.
The only thing that Canadians can count on is that the Liberal Party is consistent with failure
This is what winning looks like in Canada ! Elbows up
@ Margaret Thatcher Good try at shooting the messenger. Truss has way more credibility than Carney. Elbows up eh !!!
electing a Liberal govt. will get you a huge budget that is mainly interest that causes outragous taxes and poverty. Totally out of control.
So the honest open news channel are deleting honest comments that don’t fit their narrative.
Pathetic Global
Just the start of the economic disaster that’s on its way. Way to go Carney. Do nothing travel the world and blame everything on everybody else.
This won’t stop until the elbows up crowd feels it financially.
What’s the solution to this? Vote liberal again…
Awesome work idiot Carney. Go back to Epsteins island you clown
Can you send this article to Tiff Macklem so he can get it right this Time , last BOC date in January stats came out 3 days later should have cut a .25 the idiot
But but but, we have all these MOUs and ‘stategic agreements’ that took months of time and thousands of gallons of jet fuel to get to. They dont squat for Canada except give Carney an excuse for the money hes spending parading around like some trade guru, some f*ckin nabob who has it all to trade away for Nothing! Carney is a fraud! Cnada is going bankrupt, third world under this boob.
Canadians have to remove blinders and speak up more. Immigrants take care of their own. So so sad Canada doesn’t take care of the 3 to at least 7 generations of Canadians.
Unemployment rate for Canadians, not surprised seeing as most businesses are owned or run by immigrants who only hire their own. Same goes for housing. Wake up Canada.
Its amazing the mental gymnastics people will go through, just to whine about something.
Way to go Canada!!! 8% unemployment.
It will hit 10 before long.
elbows up
It is a hard life if you’re new to the job market!
This is where knowing someone who knows someone who needs an employee is very important…
LOL @ Liz Truss fan!!! Liz got tossed by her own party! Get a better prophet.
Not many of the “Elbows up” club commenting today guess what happy clappers inflation and interest rates to be announced next week then we can see how well Carney has performed in his first 12 Dormant months.
“The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.” Winston Churchill. The truth is Carney and this Liberal government are a disaster for Canadians.
Liz Truss the ex PM of the Uk tried to warn us about Carney but we didn’t listen. Now we are headed down the same disastrous path as the UK.
You raise minimum wage and continue to vote in socialists and this is what you get.
Mexico north is well underway. Carney, just like Trudeau, is always conveniently out of the country when bad news of his making hits the fan.
Pretty soon the only ones employed will be the politicians and their bureaucrats.
Get out Alberta
Canada is a dumpster fire
“Elbows Up,while we empty your pockets” should be the Liberal’s slogan
Funny but earlier this week when the US unemployment rate hit 4.4% it was a headline story. Canada’s unemployment rate hits almost 8% and its a small article hidden away. No bias there Global !!!
Thank a Liberal
Yes but Elbows up ! Life is cheaper and way better under Carney ….i love him I also sleep in a pen with other Canadians who get sheered every couple months .