Canada Adds 18,000 Jobs in June; Unemployment Dips to 6.5%
Statistics Canada's June Labour Force Survey shows the economy added 18,000 jobs and the unemployment rate fell 0.1 percentage points to 6.5%, boosted by youth hiring and accommodation services. However, manufacturing continues to bleed jobs as tariff uncertainty persists.
Canada's labour market showed modest resilience in June 2026, though beneath the headlines lie structural challenges facing foreign workers and immigrants. The economy added 18,000 jobs last month, mostly in part-time and private-sector work, and the unemployment rate fell to 6.5%, back to where it stood in January.
Who's Hiring and Who's Hurting
Young workers were a bright spot in June, with youth aged 15 to 24 adding 33,000 jobs, mostly in part-time work. The unemployment rate for students planning to return to school in the fall was 15.3% in June, down 2.1 percentage points from June 2025. However, not all sectors benefited equally. Job gains were led by accommodation and food services with 15,000 new positions, while manufacturing lost 17,000 jobs. Manufacturing employment has fallen by 61,000 since January 2025 (3.2%), when tariff uncertainty began.
What This Means for Newcomers
If you're on a temporary work permit or studying with a work-study permit, June's hiring in hospitality and food services suggests active recruitment in sectors that welcome work-permit holders. Wage growth is also accelerating: average hourly wages rose 3.3% year-on-year in June, up from 3.0% in May. However, if you plan to transition to permanent residence through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) pathway, be aware that manufacturing—a major employer in many regions—continues to contract, narrowing opportunities in trade-exposed sectors.
Sources
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