Unemployment rates in Canada very so much by city — Here's where they stand in February 2026

Here's a quick glance at unemployment rates for February, by Canadian city.

Aerial view of commuters crossing a busy intersection in downtown Toronto.

From Atlantic Canada to B.C., here's a quick glance at Canada's unemployment rates for February in 42 cities across the country.

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Writer

The national unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent in February after a surprise drop of 84,000 jobs.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: Canada lost 84,000 jobs in February — Here's which industries are getting hit hardest

Statistics Canada also released seasonally adjusted, three-month moving average unemployment rates for major cities. It cautions, however, that the figures may fluctuate widely because they are based on small statistical samples.

Here are the jobless rates last month by city (numbers from the previous month in brackets):

Atlantic Canada

  • St. John's, NL — 7.3 per cent (7.7)
  • Halifax — 6.1 per cent (5.8)
  • Moncton — 6.1 per cent (5.6)
  • Saint John, NB — 5.3 per cent (5.6)
  • Fredericton — 6.1 per cent (5.8)

Quebec

  • Saguenay — 3.6 per cent (4.1)
  • Quebec City — 2.7 per cent (3.0)
  • Sherbrooke — 4.8 per cent (5.1)
  • Trois-Rivières — 3.8 per cent (3.9)
  • Drummondville — 5.6 per cent (4.7)
  • Montreal — 6.6 per cent (6.1)
  • Gatineau — 6.2 per cent (6.7)

Ontario

  • Ottawa — 6.8 per cent (7.0)
  • Kingston — 5.8 per cent (6.0)
  • Belleville-Quinte West — 9.9 per cent (10.0)
  • Peterborough — 6.2 per cent (6.6)
  • Oshawa — 8.1 per cent (8.1)
  • Toronto — 8.1 per cent (7.9)
  • Hamilton — 6.6 per cent (7.4)
  • St. Catharines-Niagara — 7.1 per cent (7.3)
  • Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo — 8.6 per cent (8.3)
  • Brantford — 7.9 per cent (8.7)
  • Guelph — 6.3 per cent (7.0)
  • London — 8.8 per cent (8.2)
  • Windsor — 8.0 per cent (8.1)
  • Barrie — 8.4 per cent (8.3)
  • Greater Sudbury — 6.2 per cent (6.7)
  • Thunder Bay — 5.2 per cent (4.6)

The Prairies

  • Winnipeg — 6.2 per cent (6.3)
  • Regina — 6.9 per cent (7.2)
  • Saskatoon — 5.7 per cent (6.0)
  • Lethbridge, AB — 6.8 per cent (7.4)
  • Calgary — 6.6 per cent (6.7)
  • Red Deer, AB — 7.2 per cent (8.1)
  • Edmonton — 6.8 per cent (6.8)

British Columbia

  • Kelowna — 6.3 per cent (6.8)
  • Kamloops — 3.8 per cent (4.8)
  • Chilliwack — 7.2 per cent (7.2)
  • Abbotsford-Mission — 5.7 per cent (6.3)
  • Vancouver — 6.2 per cent (6.3)
  • Victoria — 4.5 per cent (4.4)
  • Nanaimo — 7.7 per cent (6.6)

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 13, 2026.

  • The Canadian Press is Canada's trusted news source and leader in providing real-time, bilingual multimedia stories across print, broadcast and digital platforms. From breaking regional, national and international stories to the biggest events in politics, business, entertainment and lifestyle, The Canadian Press is there when it matters, giving Canadians an authentic, unbiased source, driven by truth, accuracy and timeliness.

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