Could there be signs of hope amid technical recession?
Canada added 88,000 jobs in May, the employment rate rose by 0.2 per cent to 60.7 per cent and unemployment fell 0.3 per cent to 6.6 per cent, according to a report by Statistics Canada released today.
As a per centage, youth saw the greatest gain with an increase of 0.8 per cent or 22,000 real jobs added. Youth unemployment declined 0.9 per cent to 13.4 per cent.
Ontario saw the largest absolute number of job gains, 42,000, followed by B.C., 25,000, and Alberta, 14,000. Average hourly wages increased 3.0 per cent as well.
This is the single largest employment increase since November of 2025, and follows a decline of 112,000 jobs over the first four months of 2026. On a year-over-year basis, employment was up 147,000 (0.7 per cent) in May.
Notably, many of those job gains were in full-time roles. Full-time employment rose by 154,000 in May, offsetting a downward trend in full-time employment observed in the first four months of the year.
