Canada's unemployment rate unexpectedly rose.

The Canadian labor market weakened again last month, with the unemployment rate unexpectedly rising to a six-month high of 6.9%. Economists had previously predicted the unemployment rate would remain at 6.7% for the third consecutive month. The country's economy shed 17,700 jobs, reversing the 14,100 job gains from the previous month, resulting in a total job loss of over 112,000 in the first four months of 2026. The decline was mainly in full-time jobs, with 46,700 full-time positions lost in April. This softness was due to an increase in job seekers, with the labor force participation rate rising by 0.1 percentage point and the labor force increasing by 33,500 people.