Labour market report, October 2025

Quick facts

In October 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 28,400 (0.3%) in October compared to September.
  • 8.3 million (60.1%) were employed, increased (54,500, or 0.7%) from September.
• Ontario's unemployment rate decreased to 7.6% in October from 7.9% in September and 679,800 people were unemployed, down by 26,100 (-3.7%) from September.

Employment increased in October

Employment in Ontario increased (54,500 or 0.7%) in October, after little changed (8,800 or 0.1%) in September. A total of 8,254,300 people were employed in Ontario in October.

Employment in Canada increased by 66,600 (0.3%) in October, after increasing by 60,400 (0.3%) in September. A total of 21,081,900 people were employed in Canada in October.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment decreased by 1,400 (-0.0%%) in October, while part-time employment increased by 56,000 (3.0%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 31,800 (0.7%) in October, after increasing by 11,700 (0.3%) in September. Total male employment was 4,358,900 in October. Employment for women increased by 22,700 (0.6%) in October, after decreasing by 2,900 (-0.1%) in September. Total female employment was 3,895,400 in October.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment increased by 18,800 (1.8%) in October for a total of 1,049,300, after decreasing by 12,400 (-1.2%) in September. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 30,900 (0.6%) in October to 5,484,500, after increasing by 34,100 (0.6%) in September. Employment for those aged 55 and older increased by 4,800 (0.3%) in October to 1,720,500, after decreasing by 13,000 (-0.8%) in September.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in October were wholesale and retail trade (1,170,200 or 14.2% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,011,900 or 12.3%), professional, scientific and technical services (918,300 or 11.1%) and manufacturing (829,500 or 10.0%).

Notable job gains in October included information, culture and recreation (21,400 or 6.3% of total employment), wholesale and retail trade (16,600 or 1.4%), transportation and warehousing (16,500 or 4.0%).

Healthcare and social assistance (-8,900 or -0.9%), finance, insurance, real estate rental and leasing (-8,500 or -1.2%) and business and other support services (-7,200 or -2.6%) led job losses in October.

Chart 2 shows industries by employment change in Ontario, September 2025 to October 2025.

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in October were sales and service (1,735,200 or 21.0% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,377,300 or 16.7%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,122,300 or 13.6%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (958,800 or 11.6%).

Five of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first ten months of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. Sales and service occupations (56,300 or 3.4%) led job gains, followed by health occupations (41,000 or 6.9%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (39,700 or 4.9%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (-34,700 or -3.0%), management occupations (-31,300 or -3.5%) and occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-25,800 or -6.5%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In October 2025, employment in ten of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their October 2024 levels, led by Toronto (35,500 or 1.0%) and followed by Oshawa (15,200 or 4.1%), London (13,000 or 4.1%) and Hamilton (12,000 or 2.8%).

Notable employment losses in October were recorded in Ottawa (-31,700 or -4.5%), Barrie (-3,300 or -2.5%) and Guelph (-1,800 or -1.8%).

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

Unemployment rate decreased to 7.6%

Ontario’s unemployment rate decreased to 7.6% in October from 7.9% in September. 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 October from 7.1% in September. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since March 2023 (5.0%).

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

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

The unemployment rate for women remained unchanged at 7.6% in October from September. The rate for men decreased to 7.6% in October from 8.2%.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate decreased to 16.3% in October from 17.8% in September. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 remained unchanged 6.5% in October from September. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older decreased to 5.3% in October from 5.6% in September.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 9.5% in October compared to a 6.8% 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 8.1% in October compared to a 7.5% 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) (11.5%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (8.4%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (7.1%) (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 October compared to a 7.9% rate for the non-Indigenous population. The unemployment rate for the Indigenous population includes the rates for First Nations people living off reserve (12.2%) and individuals who identify as Métis (11.1%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In October, the average unemployment rate increased from September in nine of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Belleville-Quinte West (6.6% in September to 8.8% in October), Barrie (7.7% to 8.6%), Ottawa-Gatineau (7.0% to 7.4%), Peterborough (5.4% to 5.7%), and London (6.2% to 6.5%).

Six CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in October, led by Winsor (10.4% in September to 9.6% in October), Oshawa (8.8% to 8.5%), Toronto (8.9% to 8.7%) and Hamilton (7.2% to 7.0%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Kingston (6.1%) in October.

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

Long-term unemployment

In October, an estimated 185,400 Ontarians or 27.3% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 198,900 Ontarians or 28.2% of all unemployed people in September and 154,600 or 24.8% of all unemployed people a year earlier in October 2024.

The average time in unemployment was 23.8 weeks in October, above the average in September (28.1 weeks) and well above the average in October 2024 (22.0 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $38.68 in October, above the average rate across Canada ($37.06). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in October rose by 3.2% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.20 from $37.48 in October 2024) which was above the 2.9% increase from September.

October’s wage growth (3.2%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of September (2.0%). 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 October 2025.

The average hourly wage rate was $36.22 for women in October, increased by 4.5% ($1.55) from $34.67 in October 2024. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $41.04, an increase of 2.2% ($0.89) from $40.15 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $22.30 in October, an increase of 1.7% ($0.37) from the hourly wage rate in October 2024. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $41.60 in October, up 3.4% ($1.38) from $40.22 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 1.8% ($0.72) to $40.05 in October from $39.33 a year earlier.

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

1. Wholesale and retail trade: +8.0% ($2.23) to $30.09
2. Educational services: +5.1% ($2.15) to $44.70
3. Professional, scientific and technical services: +4.4% ($2.33) to $54.85

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

1. Agriculture: -9.1% (-$2.34) to $23.46
2. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: -8.8% (-$4.30) to $44.48
3. Transportation and warehousing: -7.7% (-$2.71) to $32.55

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

October 2025 Labour Market Report:

• CSV, Chart 1, employment in Ontario from January 2016 to October 2025, 1Kb
• CSV, Chart 2, industries with highest and lowest employment change in Ontario, September 2025 to October 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 3, employment change for occupations in Ontario from October 2024 to October 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 4, employment change for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) from October 2024 to October 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 5, unemployment rates, Ontario and Canada, January 2016 to October 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 6, average unemployment rates for Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs), October 2025, 2Kb
• CSV, Chart 7, Ontario’s long-term unemployed (27 weeks or more) as a percentage of total unemployment, January 2016 to October 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 October 2025, 2Kb

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