Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 6.1% as of March 2026, down 0.7% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 4% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 5,000 more full-time jobs in March 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a loss of 1,000 part-time positions, this led to an increase of 4,000 total jobs in March.
Full-time employment was down 23,800 jobs from the peak in October 2024 but stood 18,100 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
