Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 7.4% as of August 2026, up 0.4% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 2.7% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 9,600 fewer full-time jobs in August 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 400 part-time positions, this led to a decrease of 9,200 total jobs in August.
Full-time employment was down 18,000 jobs from the peak in October 2024 but stood 24,100 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
