# Canada's September jobs report is due 9 October after August's loss of 42,000 jobs and 2.0% wage growth > Statistics Canada publishes the Labour Force Survey at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on 9 October. Unemployment was 6.4% in August, wage growth was the slowest since November 2017, and the Bank of Canada decides on 28 October. - Canonical URL: https://forextradingcommunity.com/news/canada-jobs-september-2026-preview/ - Type: Preview - Published: 2026-10-08 - Updated: 2026-10-08 - Publisher: Forex Trading Community (https://forextradingcommunity.com), FTC Editorial Team - Currencies: CAD Statistics Canada publishes the September Labour Force Survey on Friday 9 October 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time (12:30 UTC). It is the main Canadian jobs release before the Bank of Canada's next interest rate announcement and Monetary Policy Report on 28 October. The figures below are those published before 5 October. ## Where August left things - **Employment**: down 42,000, or 0.2%, after a strong run (up 75,000 in July) - **Unemployment rate**: 6.4%, unchanged - **Employment rate**: 60.8%, down 0.1 percentage point - **Average hourly wages**: 2.0% higher than a year earlier, down from 2.8% in July and 3.3% in June, the slowest increase since November 2017 Manufacturing added 22,000 jobs in August, while business, building and other support services lost 20,000 and public administration 8,800 ([August report](/news/canada-jobs-august-2026/)). ## Other Canadian data in the meantime - **Retail sales** fell 0.7% in July to $73.7 billion, with an advance estimate of a 1.3% rise in August ([report](/news/canada-retail-sales-fall-0-7-percent-july-2026/)) - **Consumer prices** were up 3.0% in August, and 2.4% excluding gasoline ([report](/news/canada-cpi-august-2026/)) - **The Bank of Canada** held its policy rate at 2.25% on 2 September, its seventh straight hold ([report](/news/bank-of-canada-holds-2-25-september-2026/)) ## What to look at - The **employment change** and whether August's loss reverses - The **unemployment rate** against 6.4% - **Wage growth**, which the Bank watches as a guide to underlying inflation - The split between **full-time and part-time** work and between sectors ## What it means for the Canadian dollar A soft labour market with inflation near 3% leaves the Bank of Canada between two pressures. Oil, which usually supports the Canadian dollar, also feeds inflation ([oil and the Canadian dollar](/news/oil-prices-and-the-canadian-dollar/)). The Federal Reserve has raised rates since the Bank's last hold, so the rate gap matters for [USD/CAD](/markets/usd-cad/). [How to read an economic calendar](/news/how-to-read-an-economic-calendar/) explains actual, forecast and previous readings. ## What happens next Canada's September inflation is published on 19 October and August retail sales on 23 October. The Bank's decision is on 28 October at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time. ## Sources - [Statistics Canada: 2026 release dates, major economic releases (Labour Force Survey, September: 9 October 2026)](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/release-diffusion/2026-eng.pdf) - [Statistics Canada: The Daily, Labour Force Survey, August 2026](https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260904/dq260904a-eng.htm) - [Bank of Canada: policy interest rate and 2026 announcement schedule](https://www.bankofcanada.ca/core-functions/monetary-policy/key-interest-rate/) ## Common questions ### When is Canada's September jobs report? Friday 9 October 2026 at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time, when Statistics Canada publishes the Labour Force Survey for September. ### What was Canada's unemployment rate in August 2026? 6.4%, unchanged, with employment down 42,000 and average hourly wages 2.0% higher than a year earlier. ### What is Canada's interest rate? 2.25%. The Bank of Canada held it on 2 September 2026 for a seventh straight decision. ### When is the next Bank of Canada decision? 28 October 2026 at 9:45 a.m. Eastern Time, together with the Monetary Policy Report. ### How do Canadian jobs data affect the Canadian dollar? Through the Bank of Canada's interest-rate path. A reading far from expectations moves USD/CAD most, especially if it changes what traders expect the Bank to do. --- This article is for information only and is not financial advice. Trading forex and CFDs carries a high risk of losing money.