Alberta added about 23,100 jobs in September while employment fell across Canada, according to the latest Labour Force Survey.

Statistics Canada estimated provincial employment increased 0.9 per cent from August and 2.9 per cent from a year earlier. The year-over-year gain amounted to about 76,000 jobs.

Alberta's unemployment rate fell to 6.4 per cent from 6.8 per cent in August. The national rate rose one-tenth of a percentage point to 6.5 per cent.

Across Canada, employment declined by 68,300 in September. That national result erased employment gains recorded earlier in 2026 and was accompanied by a drop in labour-force participation.

The national participation rate fell 0.2 percentage points to 64.8 per cent, its lowest level since December 1997 excluding the pandemic year of 2020.

Alberta's participation rate was 68.9 per cent, according to the province's Labour Market Notes.

The provincial gain was concentrated in full-time work. Alberta added an estimated 25,800 full-time jobs and lost about 2,700 part-time positions from August.

Youth unemployment in Alberta fell 2.8 percentage points to 12.5 per cent, its lowest level since October 2023. The national youth unemployment rate was 13 per cent.

The survey also showed different trends across industries. Employment in educational services was down 17,000, or nine per cent, in Alberta compared with September 2025.

Statistics Canada reported a national monthly decline in health care and social assistance employment, although employment in that sector remained higher than a year earlier.

The next Labour Force Survey, covering October conditions, is scheduled for release in November.