OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate ticked up to 7.1 per cent in August as the economy lost 66,000 jobs for the month.
The report follows the July labour force survey that showed a loss of 41,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 6.9 per cent.
A poll of economists heading into the release had expected August to show a gain of 10,000 jobs and the unemployment rate to rise to seven per cent for the month, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
Statistics Canada says there were 60,000 part-time jobs lost in August, while the economy shed 6,000 full-time jobs.
Employment fell across several industries. The professional, scientific and technical services industry lost 26,000 jobs, while transportation and warehousing lost 23,000 positions. Construction employment rose by 17,000.
The jobs report comes ahead of the Bank of Canada’s next interest rate decision set for Sept. 17.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 5, 2025.
The Canadian Press
