Labour market report, June 2025

Quick facts

In June 2025:

• There were 13.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older:
  • 8.9 million (65.0%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 9,600 (0.1%) in June compared to May.
  • 8.2 million (60.0%) were employed, increasing by 21,200 (0.3%) from May.
• Ontario's unemployment rate decreased to 7.8% in June from 7.9% in May and 695,300 people were unemployed, down by 11,500 (-1.6%) from May.

Employment increased in June

Employment in Ontario increased in June (21,200 or 0.3%), after little change in May (3,400 or 0.0%). A total of 8,219,800 people were employed in Ontario in June.

Employment in Canada increased in June (83,100 or 0.4%), after little change in May (8,800 or 0.0%). A total of 21,061,200 people were employed in Canada in June.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment decreased by 10,600 (-0.2%) in June, while part-time employment increased by 31,700 (2,1%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 11,300 (0.3%) in June, after decreasing by 6,300 (-0.1%) in May. Total male employment was 4,348,400 in June. Employment for women increased by 9,800 (0.3%) in June, after increasing by 9,700 (0.3%) in May. Total female employment was 3,871,400 in June.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 10,400 (-1.0%) in June for a total of 1,049,200, after decreasing by 2,700 (-0.3%) in May. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 30,600 (0.6%) in June to 5,464,900, after increasing by 15,300 (0.3%) in May. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 1,000 (0.1%) in June to 1,705,700, after decreasing by 9,300 (-0.5%) in May.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in June were wholesale and retail trade (1,165,800 or 14.2% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,019,300 or 12.4%), professional, scientific and technical services (919,600 or 11.2%) and manufacturing (804,900 or 9.8%).

Business, building and other support services (-11,200 or -3.9%), finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing (-9,400 or -1.3%) and other services (except public administration) (-8,500 or -2.9%) led job losses in June.

Notable job gains in June included construction (14,400 or 2.5%), professional, scientific and technical services (10,400 or 1.1%) and wholesale and retail trade (9,900 or 0.9%).

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, May 2025 to June 2025.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in June were sales and service (1,803,400 or 21.6% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,358,300 or 16.3%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,133,900 or 13.6%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (967,400 or 11.6%).

Six of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first six months of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. Sales and service occupations (67,400 or 4.1%) led job gains, followed by health occupations (62,000 or 10.6%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (34,100 or 4.2%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in trades, transport and equipment operators (-39,000 or -3.5%), occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-24,400 or -6.2%) and management occupations (-21,400 or -2.4%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In June 2025, employment in ten of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their June 2024 level, led by Toronto (65,300 or 1.8%) and followed by Ottawa-Gatineau (16,200 or 1.9%), Hamilton (13,600 or 3.1%) and St. Catharines-Niagara (13,600 or 5.9%).

Notable employment losses in June were recorded in Guelph (-7,800 or -7.4%), Windsor (-7,100 or -3.0%) and Oshawa (-4,800 or -2.0%).

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

Unemployment rate decreased to 7.8%

Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.8% in June from 7.9% in May. The provincial unemployment rate has increased significantly since falling to a near-record low in April 2023 (5.0%).

The Canadian unemployment rate decreased to 6.9% in June from 7.0% in May. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since March 2023 (5.0%).

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

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

The unemployment rate for women decreased to 7.5% in June from 7.6% in May. The rate for men decreased to 8.1% in June from 8.3% in May.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate increased to 15.8% in June from 15.5% in May. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 6.8% in June from 7.0% in May. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older down to 5.5% in June from 5.7% in May

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 9.8% in June compared to a 6.4% 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 8.2% in June compared to a 7.2% 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) (12.5%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (9.7%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (6.7%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 10.0% in June compared to a 7.8% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (11.3%) and individuals who identify as Métis (6.1%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In June, the average unemployment rate increased from May in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Belleville-Quinte West (4.1% in May to 7.1% in June), Thunder Bay (4.4% to 5.4%), Guelph (4.9% to 5.8%) and Ottawa-Gatineau (5.8% to 6.2%).

Six CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in June, led by Peterborough (11.2% in May to 10.0% in June), Barrie (8.4% to 7.5%) and Hamilton (6.7% to 6.3%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Kingston (7.5%) in June.

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

Long-term unemployment

In June, an estimated 170,100 Ontarians or 24.5% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 170,400 Ontarians or 24.1% of all unemployed people in May and 132,600 or 21.7% of all unemployed people a year earlier in June 2024.

The average time in unemployment was 23.0 weeks in June, below the average in May (25.2 weeks) and well above the average in June 2024 (20.1 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $37.12 in June, above the average rate across Canada ($36.01). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in June rose by 3.7% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.31 from $35.81 in June 2024) which was below the 5.0% increase from May.

June’s wage growth (3.7%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of May (1.7%). 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 June 2025.

The average hourly wage rate was $34.98 for women in June, rising by 5.0% ($1.66) from $33.71 in June 2024. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $39.18, an increase of 2.6% ($0.99) from $38.19 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $21.69 in June, an increase of 0.6% ($0.12) from $21.49 in June 2024. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $40.18 in June, up 4.1% ($1.59) from $38.59 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 3.1% ($1.15) to $38.66 in June from $37.51 a year earlier.

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

1. Information, culture and recreation: +13.8.% ($4.44) to $36.55
2. Business, building and other support services: +15.0% ($3.79) to $29.13
3. Agriculture: +17.1% ($3.81) to $26.15

Only two industry experienced a decrease in their average hourly wage rate in June compared to a year earlier:

1. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: -4.3% (-$2.01) to $45.24
2. Manufacturing: -0.1% ($0.03) to $34.18

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

June 2025 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2016 to June 2025, 1Kbhttps://www.ontario.ca/files/2025-07/mlitsd-june2025-labour-market-report-chart-1-en-utf8-2025-07-11.csv
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, April 2025 to June 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from June 2024 to June 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from June 2024 to June 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to June 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), June 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to June 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 June 2025, 2Kb

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