Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Canada
Canada: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) was 6.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Canada, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Canada stood at 6.9%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.8% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Canada peaked at 11.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2022.
That places Canada 63rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 10.3% | — |
| 1992 | 11.2% | +8.5% |
| 1993 | 11.4% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 10.4% | -8.6% |
| 1995 | 9.5% | -8.7% |
| 1996 | 9.6% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -5.4% |
| 1998 | 8.3% | -9.0% |
| 1999 | 7.6% | -8.4% |
| 2000 | 6.8% | -9.9% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | +5.7% |
| 2002 | 7.7% | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 7.6% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 7.2% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | -5.9% |
| 2006 | 6.5% | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 6.2% | -5.1% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 8.5% | +34.6% |
| 2010 | 8.2% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 7.6% | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 7.4% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 7.1% | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 7.0% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 6.9% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 7.0% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 6.4% | -8.7% |
| 2018 | 5.8% | -9.2% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | +69.7% |
| 2021 | 7.5% | -22.1% |
| 2022 | 5.3% | -29.9% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 6.4% | +17.3% |
| 2025 | 6.9% | +8.8% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 6.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 5.0%, 1.4× the median. (62 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate) in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +69.7% | 5.7% | 9.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.7% | 7.6% | 11.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.1% | 6.2% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 5.7% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.9% | 5.3% | 9.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More education data for Canada
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 133,275 (1996)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2011)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 291,075 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 273,465 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.70 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.43 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0607 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Canada?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Canada was 6.9% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 11.4% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2022.
- How does Canada rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Canada ranks 63rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.