Ottawa unemployment rises slightly, remains on par with national average

Ottawa’s employment rate grew 0.3 percentage points in September, sitting at 7.1 per cent on par with the national average.

The rate across Ottawa in August was 6.8 per cent.

The numbers come from StatCan’s latest Labour Force Survey which tracks employment across the country.

The unemployment rate across the province sits at 7.9 per cent, up 0.2 points from August.

Ontario saw a concentrated increase in manufacturing jobs (12,000) and agricultural jobs (5,200). The manufacturing sector is one that StatCan says is increasingly trade sensitive. This is the first growth the sector has experienced since January.

Last month the Ontario government announced nearly $9 million in funding to protect workers in eastern Ontario in the face of tariff pressures and economic uncertainty.

The move, provided through the Skills Development Fund, is intended to provide good jobs while keeping Ontario competitive amidst U.S. tariffs.