Labour market report, August 2025

Quick facts

In August 2025:

• There were 13.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older:
  • 8.9 million (64.7%) were in the labour force. The labour force decreased by 41,000 (-0.5%) in August compared to July.
  • 8.2 million (59.7%) were employed, down by 26,000 (-0.3%) from July.
• Ontario's unemployment rate decreased to 7.7% in August from 7.9% in July and 685,400 people were unemployed, down by 15,100 (-2.2%) from July.

Employment decreased in August

Employment in Ontario decreased by 26,000 (-0.3%) in August, after a little change (2,800 or 0.0%) in July. A total of 8,191,000 people were employed in Ontario in August.

Employment in Canada decreased by 65,500 (-0.3%) in August, after decreasing by -40,800 (-0.2%) in July. A total of 20,954,900 people were employed in Canada in August.

Chart 1 shows employment in Ontario from January 2016 to August 2025.

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 22,100 (0.3%) in August, while part-time employment decreased by 48,000 (-3.2%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men decreased by 12,800 (-0.3%) in August, after decreasing by 20,200 (-0.5%) in July. Total male employment was 4,315,400 in August. Employment for women decreased by 13,200 (-0.3%) in August, after increasing by 17,400 (0.4%) in July. Total female employment was 3,875,600 in August.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 4,900 (-0.5%) in August for a total of 1,042,900, after decreasing by 1,400 (-0.1%) in July. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 decreased by 33,000 (-0.6%) in August to 5,419,500, after decreasing by 12,400 (-0.2%) in July. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 12,100 (0.7%) in August to 1,728,700, after increasing by 10,900 (0.6%) in July.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in August were wholesale and retail trade (1,166,100 or 14.2% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,021,600 or 12.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (904,300 or 11.0%) and manufacturing (813,300 or 9.9%).

Education services (-17,900 or -2.9%), professional, scientific and technical services (-13,600 or -1.5%) and finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-5,900 or -0.8%) led job losses in August.

Notable job gains in August included wholesale and retail trade (10,100 or 0.9%), business, building and other support services (7,700 or 3.0%) and manufacturing (2,300 or 0.3%).

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, July 2025 to August 2025.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in August were sales and service (1,761,500 or 21.4% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,419,400 or 17.2%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,152,200 or 14.0%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations, except management (848,500 or 10.3%).

Five of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first eight months of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. Sales and service occupations (56,900 or 3.4%) led job gains, followed by health occupations (51,000 or 8.7%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (33,800 or 4.2%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in trades, transport and equipment operators (-31,300 or -2.8%), occupations in manufacturing and utilities(-27,500 or -6.9%), and management (-26,800 or -3.0%).

Chart 3 shows occupations by annual employment change in Ontario, August 2024 to August 2025.

Employment change in urban centres

In August 2025, employment in twelve of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their August 2024 levels, led by Toronto (43,100 or 1.2%) and followed by Hamilton (19,800 or 4.6%), Oshawa (9,100 or 3.8%) and London (8,800 or 2.8%).

Notable employment losses in July were recorded in Windsor (-12,100 or -5.0%), Guelph (-6,400 or -6.3%) and Barrie (-1,400 or -1.1%).

Chart 4 shows employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from August 2024 to August 2025.

Unemployment rate decreased to 7.7%

Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.7% in August from 7.9% in July. The provincial unemployment rate has increased significantly since falling to a near-record low in April 2023 (5.0%).

The Canadian unemployment rate increased to 7.1% in August from 6.9 in July. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since March 2023 (5.0%).

Chart 5 shows unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to August 2025.

Unemployment rate by sex, age, visible minority status, immigrant status and Indigenous group

The unemployment rate for women increased to 7.2% in August from 6.9% in July. The rate for men decreased to 8.2% in August from 8.7% in July.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate increased to 16.5% in August from 16.0 % in July. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 6.7% in August from 6.9% in July. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older declined to 4.9% in August from 5.4% in July.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 10.3% in August compared to a 6.9% rate for those who are not visible minorities and did not identify as Indigenous (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

The unemployment rate for landed immigrants was 8.6% in August compared to a 7.8% rate for the Canadian-born population in Ontario. The unemployment rate for landed immigrants includes the rates for very recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed less than 5 years earlier) (12.2%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (9.5%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (7.5%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 12.2% in August compared to a 8.3% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (13.1%) and individuals who identify as Métis (7.6%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In August, the average unemployment rate increased from July in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Brantford (7.8% in July to 9.4% in August), Guelph (7.2% to 8.7%), Windsor (10.2% to 11.1%) and Greater Sudbury (5.7% to 6.4%).

Six CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in August, led by Peterborough (7.7% in July to 6.1% in August), Oshawa (9.7% to 9.0%) and London (6.5% to 6.1%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Kingston (6.8%) in August.

Chart 6 shows the average unemployment rate for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) in August 2025.

Long-term unemployment

In August, an estimated 187,500 Ontarians or 27.4% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 209,100 Ontarians or 29.9% of all unemployed people in July and 139,400 or 21.8% of all unemployed people a year earlier in August 2024.

The average time in unemployment was 26.1 weeks in August, below the average in July (27.7 weeks) and well above the average in August 2024 (21.6 weeks).

Chart 7 shows Ontario’s long-term unemployment (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to August 2025.

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $37.61 in August, above the average rate across Canada ($36.31). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in August rose by 2.7% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.00 from $36.31 in August 2024) which was below the 3.6% increase from July.

August’s wage growth (2.7%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of July (1.6%). The CPI is a measure of inflation that represents changes in prices for goods and services as experienced by consumers.

Chart 8 shows the year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2016 to August 2025.

The average hourly wage rate was $35.10 for women in August, increased by 3.8% ($1.27) from $33.83 in August 2024. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $39.98, an increase of 2.0% ($0.78) from $39.20 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.43 in August, an increase of 1.8% ($0.38) from the hourly wage rate in August 2024. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $40.96 in August, up 2.8% ($1.10) from $39.86 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 3.0% ($1.16) to $39.45 in August from $38.29 a year earlier.

In August, the industries with the largest increases in average hourly wage rates compared to a year earlier were:

1. Business, building and other support services: +13.6% ($3.57) to $29.76
2. Information, culture and recreation: +7.9% ($2.57) to $35.11
3. Professional, scientific and technical services: +6.3% ($3.18) to $53.37

Only three industries experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rate in August compared to a year earlier:

1. Agriculture: -4.4% (-$1.11) to $24.11
2. Wholesale and retail trade: -0.5% (-$0.15) to $28.21
3. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: 0% (-$0.02) to $48.79

Changes in average hourly wages by industry are the result of multiple factors, including wage growth and shifts in the composition of employment by job tenure and occupation.

Download data

Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey

August 2025 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2016 to August 2025, 1Kb
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, July 2025 to August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from August 2024 to August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from August 2024 to August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to August 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 8, year-over-year percentage change in Ontario’s average hourly wage rate and the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI), January 2016 to August 2025, 2Kb

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