Québec unemployment rate falls to 5.7% as Canada’s rises to 6.7%

Québec’s unemployment rate fell 0.3 percentage points to 5.7% in October, while the national rate rose 0.2 points to 6.7%, according to Statistics Canada’s Labour Force Survey released November 6.

Employment in Québec was little changed, increasing by about 7,500 positions, almost all part-time. The provincial labour force shrank by about 8,100 people, which Statistics Canada says helped lower the unemployment rate as fewer people searched for work. Compared with October 2025, Québec employment was down about 106,000, or 2.3%.

National employment was virtually unchanged, down about 4,700 positions. Canada’s employment rate slipped 0.1 points to 60.5%. Private-sector employment fell by 53,000, while public-sector employment increased by 50,000.

Across Canada, wholesale and retail trade lost 29,000 positions, while construction added 16,000 and educational services added 15,000. Average hourly wages were up 2.2% from a year earlier to $37.89.

Sources

• Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, October 2026, released November 6, 2026.
• Government of Canada Job Bank, Québec labour-market snapshot, accessed November 7, 2026.

Illustrative stock photo: Andy Holmes / Unsplash, under the Unsplash License. The illuminated Canada display is not a Labour Force Survey event.