Canada’s unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 6.9 percent in April 2026, as more people entered the labour market to search for work.
Statistics Canada reports that employment remained relatively flat, with a slight decrease of 18,000 positions. Job losses were most notable in Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, while Ontario saw a gain of 42,000 jobs.
Youth aged 15 to 24 were hit hardest, with their unemployment rate jumping to 14.3 percent. Despite the cooling market, average hourly wages continued to grow, rising 4.5 percent year-over-year to reach $37.77. Full-time employment saw a decline of 47,000 roles, continuing a downward trend observed since the start of the year.
#canada_labour_market, #unemployment_rate, #statistics_canada, #employment_trends, #labour_force_survey
May 11, 2026
A new report reveals that the number of Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) permits approved for truck drivers more than quadrupled between 2010 and 2024.
The union argues that the industry's claimed "labour shortage" is actually a shortage of decent jobs, with employers increasingly relying on a vulnerable, migrant workforce to maintain stagnant wages and poor working conditions.
Central to this issue is the "Driver Inc." scam, where companies misclassify drivers as independent contractors to evade providing benefits and legal protections.
The report calls for a reduction in closed work permits, which tie workers to a single employer and heighten the risk of exploitation, and urges the Federal Government to implement a meaningful wage floor and stronger enforcement against misclassification to prevent a "race to the bottom" for all drivers in the sector.
#canada_trucking, #temporary_foreign_workers, #labour_rights, #trucking_industry, #worker_exploitation
May 8, 2026
Thousands of Americans are now searching family archives and historical records after Canada removed the first-generation limit on citizenship by descent.
Canadian immigration authorities reportedly received more than 12,000 proof-of-citizenship applications within the first six weeks after the changes took effect, while some provincial archives reported surges of up to 3,000% in document requests.
Analysts estimate that millions of Americans could now qualify for Canadian citizenship, particularly in regions such as New England, which has strong historical ties to Canada.
Despite the rush for documentation, many applicants view this as a strategic security measure rather than a plan for immediate relocation, utilizing new pathways that have opened citizenship rights to a vast new pool of descendants.
#canada, #citizenship, #immigration, #genealogy, #canadian_ancestry, #citizenship_by_descent, #passport_power
May 7, 2026
A new study released by Statistics Canada on May 5, 2026, indicates that federal policy changes implemented in 2024 have triggered a significant reversal in international student trends.
Preliminary estimates suggest that new student cohorts will plummet by 64% in the 2025/2026 academic year compared to 2023/2024 levels.
Total international student enrolment in public postsecondary institutions is projected to drop by 29% over the same two-year period, bringing population levels back to pandemic levels.
The impact is most severe in college programs, which face a 42% decrease, and in Ontario, where enrolment is expected to fall by 36%. While these measures aim to manage growth and housing pressures, researchers warn of potential long-term repercussions for the financial health of educational institutions and Canada’s global competitiveness.
#canada_immigration, #international_students, #statistics_canada, #ircc, #study_permits, #ontario_educationMay 6, 2026
