Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 7.3% as of October 2026, up 0.1% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 2.8% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 8,600 fewer full-time jobs in October 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 3,600 part-time positions, this led to a decrease of 5,000 total jobs in October.
Full-time employment was down 37,600 jobs from the peak in November 2024 but stood 3,400 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, three-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
