Canada's payroll employment fell 49,600 in August 2026

Payroll employment in Canada fell by 49,600, or 0.3%, in August 2026, after edging down by 15,700 in July, Statistics Canada said on 29 October 2026 (Statistics Canada: Payroll employment, earnings and hours, and job vacancies, August 2026). Compared with a year earlier, payroll employment was up 57,200, or 0.3%.

Key figures

• Payroll employment, monthly: down 49,600 (-0.3%) in August
• Payroll employment, annual: up 57,200 (+0.3%)
• Sectors: payroll employment fell in 10 of 20 sectors
• Public administration: down 22,300 (-1.6%), the largest drop among the sectors named
• Job vacancies: 507,200 in August, little changed; up 25,800 (+5.4%) on the year

Reading it

This survey counts payroll jobs reported by employers. It is separate from the Labour Force Survey, which sets Canada's unemployment rate. Statistics Canada describes job vacancies as little changed for the eighth month in a row, which suggests they have levelled off rather than fallen. For the US equivalent, see the September US payrolls report.