Alberta lost an estimated 24,000 jobs in October, reversing September’s gain as the provincial unemployment rate climbed to 7.3 per cent.

Statistics Canada’s Nov. 6 labour force report showed Alberta’s unemployment rate increased 0.9 percentage points in a month. Despite the setback, provincial employment remained 41,000 above October 2025.

Nationally, employment was essentially unchanged, with an estimated decline of 4,700. Full-time employment fell by 18,100, partially offset by 13,400 additional part-time positions.

The number of unemployed Canadians increased by 32,800 to approximately 1.51 million. The national unemployment rate rose from 6.5 to 6.7 per cent, although it remained below the 6.9 per cent recorded a year earlier.

Young workers faced a particularly difficult market. Unemployment among people aged 15 to 24 reached 13.7 per cent, up from 13 per cent in September. Approximately 424,100 young people were unemployed.

The national employment total also concealed a shift between employers. Private-sector employment fell by 53,000, while public-sector employment increased by 50,000. The public-sector gain followed four months of declines.

Wholesale and retail trade lost 29,000 jobs. Construction added 16,000 and educational services gained 15,000.

Finding work remained difficult for those already unemployed. Only 18.9 per cent of people unemployed in September found employment in October, compared with an average of 24.6 per cent for the same period from 2017 to 2019.

Nearly one-quarter of unemployed Canadians had been looking for work for at least 27 weeks, underscoring the prolonged challenge facing many job seekers.