Canada’s labour market showed little movement in March, with employment rising by 14,000.
The unemployment rate held steady at 6.7 percent, while the employment rate remained at 60.6 percent.
The modest increase does little to offset earlier declines. Compared with 2025, employment was up 87,000, but overall growth has slowed, and the employment rate remains slightly lower.
Only 15.2 percent of people who were unemployed in February found work in March, below pre-pandemic levels.
Wages growth at a faster pace. Average hourly pay rose 4.7 percent year over year to $37.73.
Regional trends were uneven. British Columbia lost 19,000 jobs, the second consecutive monthly decline, pushing its unemployment rate up to 6.7 percent. In contrast, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia recorded gains.
Ontario showed little improvement, with employment unchanged for a second straight month and the unemployment rate holding at 7.6 percent. Several cities in southern Ontario continue to report some of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Quebec’s unemployment rate fell to 5.4 percent.
Overall, the March figures point to a labour market that is stable but not improving, with slow hiring and uneven results across the regions.