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Canada's unemployment rate fell to 6.5 per cent in November, Statistics Canada reported Friday, bringing the unemployment rate to a 16-month low.
The unemployment rate fell several points from October's 6.9 percent after trending upward for much of the year, even reaching 7.1 percent in September, a high not seen since May 2016, excluding the COVID-19 pandemic years.
Meanwhile, the economy unexpectedly added 54,000 jobs last month, its third straight monthly gain.
Most of these were part-time jobs, with the vast majority of growth coming from the private sector. The overall increase was mainly driven by rising employment among young people aged 15 to 24 years.
For much of 2025, this group was saddled with a difficult labor market, struggling with persistently high unemployment rates that have now dropped to 12.8 percent.
Growth was driven by several sectors, including health and social assistance, accommodation and food services, and natural resources. But jobs were lost in wholesale and retail trade, offsetting industrial gains seen in the previous month.
Alberta made the biggest gains, adding 29,000 jobs last month, while New Brunswick and Manitoba each added several thousand. In other provinces, employment remained unchanged.
Year over year, average hourly wages rose 3.6 percent, or $1.27, to $37.00 per hour.
