March 13, 2026
RED FM News Desk
Statistics Canada says Canada’s economy lost 84,000 jobs in February, while the national unemployment rate edged up to 6.7 per cent, marking one of the largest monthly job declines in years outside of the pandemic period.
The latest labour force data released Friday shows the losses were mainly driven by a drop in full-time employment and a decline in private sector jobs. The decrease follows a short period of growth seen in the labour market late last fall.
The report indicates job losses were most significant among men in the core working-age group of 25 to 55. Employment also fell among young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Several key sectors experienced declines during the month. The wholesale and retail trade sector saw the largest drop, losing about 18,000 jobs. The construction industry shed around 12,000 positions, while manufacturing employment fell by approximately 9,200 jobs.
Overall, both goods-producing and services-producing industries recorded losses, contributing to the sharp drop in total employment.
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