Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 6.8% as of February 2026, down 0.2% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 3.3% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 4,400 more full-time jobs in February 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 100 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 4,500 total jobs in February.
Full-time employment was down 32,400 jobs from the peak in May 2025 but stood 10,700 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
