Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 6.2% as of April 2026, up 0.1% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 3.9% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 10,700 more full-time jobs in April 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a loss of 1,500 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 9,200 total jobs in April.
Full-time employment was down 12,500 jobs from the peak in May 2025 but stood 29,400 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
