Ottawa Employment Trends
The unemployment rate in Ottawa was 7% as of July 2026, up 0.1% from the previous month. The unemployment rate stood 3.1% below the peak from July 2020 but remains above the long-run average.
There were 2,000 fewer full-time jobs in July 2026 compared to a month earlier. Combined with a gain of 800 part-time positions, this led to a decrease of 1,200 total jobs in July.
Full-time employment was down 6,500 jobs from the peak in January 2025 but stood 35,100 jobs above the trough in November 2025.
* All figures are seasonally adjusted, 3-month moving averages. Seasonal adjustment removes normal seasonal fluctuations.
