‘Data for Business’ is an effort of the Langley Chamber, in partnership with the Canadian Chamber’s Business Data Lab, to bring our members reports, stats, and analysis on economic and business data to help inform business and investment decisions. Read our latest update below:

Canada’s labour market softened in February, with employment declining by 84,000 and the unemployment rate rising to 6.7%. Losses were concentrated in youth and core-aged men, as well as in retail, services, construction, and manufacturing. While wages continued to grow, the drop in full-time and private sector employment suggests a labour market that is easing after stronger gains in late 2025.  See full February Labour Force Survey > 

In BC, employment declined by 20,200 (-0.7%) in February, the second highest decline in the country after Quebec.  Despite this drop, the unemployment rate remained steady at 6.1%, as the number of people actively seeking work did not change.

Youth unemployment rose to 14.1%, a concerning trend that the Langley Chamber continues to highlight, as rising minimum wage levels and labour policies risk making it more costly for employers to hire, potentially reducing entry-level opportunities for young workers.

Other Key Takeaways:

• Employment Levels: Canada’s labour market weakened notably in February, with employment declining by 84,000 jobs, on top of the 25,000 lost in January 2026. On a month-over-month basis, employment level fell by 0.4%, while the employment rate declined by 0.2 percentage points to 60.6%, reflecting a modest contraction in the total labour force.
• Unemployment and Participation Rates: The unemployment rate rose to 6.7% in February from 6.6% in January, reversing the temporary improvement seen at the start of the year and signaling renewed slack in the labour market. Meanwhile, the participation rate recorded little change in February 2026, suggesting that labour supply conditions remained broadly unchanged.
• Demographics and Job Types: Job losses were particularly pronounced among youth (aged 15–24), with employment declining sharply by 47,000, pushing the youth unemployment rate up to 14.1%. Core-aged men were the second most affected group, losing 41,000 jobs, with their unemployment rate rising by 0.3 percentage points month-over-month to 5.7%. In contrast, recent trends suggest that senior workers (aged 55 and above) have been relatively less affected by ongoing labour market adjustments, with their unemployment rate declining by 0.3 percentage points y/y to 4.9%.
• Sectoral Breakdown: Employment declines were observed across both goods-producing and service-producing industries, with job losses in the service sector roughly twice those recorded in goods-producing industries. The downturn was broad-based across most sectors, led by declines in wholesale and retail trade (-18,000), pointing to softer consumer demand and tightening business conditions.