Labour market report, September 2025

Quick facts

In September 2025:

• There were 13.7 million people in Ontario aged 15 years or older:
  • 8.9 million (64.8%) were in the labour force. The labour force increased by 29,300 (0.3%) in September compared to August.
  • 8.2 million (59.7%) were employed, little changed from August (8,800, or 0.1%).
• Ontario's unemployment rate increased to 7.9% in September from 7.7% in August and 705,900 people were unemployed, up by 20,500 (3.0%) from August.

Employment was little changed in September

Employment in Ontario was little changed (8,800 or 0.1%) in September, after decreasing by 26,000 (-0.3%) in August. A total of 8,199,800 people were employed in Ontario in September.

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

Full-time vs. part-time

Full-time employment increased by 44,700 (0.7%) in September, while part-time employment decreased by 36,100 (-2.5%).

Employment change by sex and age

Employment for men increased by 11,700 (0.3%) in September, after decreasing by 12,800 (-0.3%) in August. Total male employment was 4,327,100 in September. Employment for women decreased by 2,900 (-0.1%) in September, after decreasing by 13,200 (-0.3%) in August. Total female employment was 3,872,700 in September.

Youth (aged 15 to 24) employment decreased by 12,400 (-1.2%) in September for a total of 1,030,500, after decreasing by 4,900 (-0.5%) in August. Employment for people aged 25 to 54 increased by 34,100 (0.6%) in September to 5,453,600, after decreasing by 33,000 (-0.6%) in August. Employment for those aged 55 and older decreased by 13,000 (-0.8%) in September to 1,715,700, after increasing by 12,100 (0.7%) in August.

Employment change by industry

Ontario’s largest industry groups by employment in September were wholesale and retail trade (1,153,600 or 14.1% of total employment), health care and social assistance (1,020,800 or 12.4%), professional, scientific and technical services (910,400 or 11.1%) and manufacturing (825,100 or 10.1%).

Wholesale and retail trade (-12,500 or -1.1%), construction (-7,300 or -1.3%) and public administration (-7,100 or -1.5%) led job losses in September.

Notable job gains in September included manufacturing (11,800 or 1.5%), business building and other services (9,800 or 3.7%) and professional, scientific and technical services (6,100 or 0.7%).

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

Employment change by occupation

Ontario’s largest occupational groups by employment in September were sales and service (1,698,400 or 20.7% of total employment), business, finance and administration (1,377,100 or 16.8%), trades, transport and equipment operators (1,127,600 or 13.8%) and occupations in education, law and social, community and government services (941,400 or 11.5%).

Five of the ten major occupational groups in Ontario had net employment gains in the first nine months of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024. Sales and service occupations (52,900 or 3.1%) led job gains, followed by health occupations (46,500 or 7.9%) and natural and applied sciences and related occupations (37,900 or 4.7%).

Notable employment losses were recorded in trades, transport and equipment operators and related occupations (-33,500 or -2.9%), management occupations (-29,800 or -3.3%) and occupations in manufacturing and utilities (-27,800 or -7.0%).

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

Employment change in urban centres

In September 2025, employment in eleven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs) was above their September 2024 levels, led by Toronto (29,100 or 0.8%) and followed by Hamilton (16,600 or 3.8%), Oshawa (13,000 or 5.4%) and London (12,100 or 3.8%).

Notable employment losses in September were recorded in Ottawa (-19,200 or -2.2%), Winsor (-9,300 or -3.8%) and Barrie (-4,900 or -3.7%).

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

Unemployment rate increased to 7.9%

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

The Canadian unemployment rate remained unchanged at 7.1% in September from August. The national unemployment rate has increased significantly since March 2023 (5.0%).

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

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

The unemployment rate for women increased to 7.6% in September from 7.2% in August. The rate for men remained unchanged at 8.2% in September from August.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the unemployment rate increased to 17.8% in September from 16.5 % in August. The unemployment rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 decreased to 6.5% in September from 6.9% in August. The unemployment rate for those aged 55 and older increased to 5.6% in from 4.9% in August.

In Ontario, the unemployment rate among population groups designated as visible minorities was estimated at 10.2% in September compared to a 7.0% 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 September 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) (12.1%), recent immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 5 to 10 years earlier) (9.0%) and established immigrants (i.e., immigrants who landed more than 10 years earlier) (7.6%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

In Ontario, the unemployment rate for the Indigenous population was estimated at 12.3% in September 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 (12.9%) and individuals who identify as Métis (9.4%) (data are three-month moving averages and are not adjusted for seasonality).

Unemployment rate by urban centre

In September, the average unemployment rate increased from August in seven of the sixteen Ontario Census Metropolitan Areas (CMAs). The largest increases were seen in Barrie (7.0% in August to 7.7% in September), Ottawa-Gatineau (6.7% to 7.0%), Hamilton (6.9% to 7.2%), Brantford (9.4% to 9.7%), and Greater Sudbury (6.4% to 6.7%).

Seven CMAs had average unemployment rates that decreased in September, led by Belleville – Quinte West (7.5% in August to 6.6% in September), Windsor (11.1% to 10.4%), Peterborough (6.1% to 5.4%) and Kingston (6.8.% to 6.1%).

The average unemployment rate was unchanged in Toronto (8.9%) and Kitchener-Cambridge-Waterloo (7.1%) in September.

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

Long-term unemployment

In September, an estimated 198,900 Ontarians or 28.2% of all unemployed people were unemployed for 27 weeks or longer (long-term unemployed). This compared to 187,500 Ontarians or 27.4% of all unemployed people in August and 144,300 or 23.2% of all unemployed people a year earlier in September 2024.

The average time in unemployment was 28.1 weeks in September, above the average in August (26.1 weeks) and well above the average in September 2024 (21.7 weeks).

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

Average hourly wages by sex, age and industry

The average hourly wage rate in Ontario for employees was $38.17 in September, above the average rate across Canada ($36.78). Ontario’s average hourly wage rate in September rose by 2.9% on a year-over-year basis (by $1.08 from $37.09 in September 2024) which was below the 3.7% increase from August.

September’s wage growth (2.9%) was well above the growth seen in the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) as of August (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 September 2025.

The average hourly wage rate was $35.73 for women in September, increased by 4.0% ($1.38) from $34.35 in September 2024. For men, the average hourly wage rate was $40.51, an increase of 2.0% ($0.81) from $39.70 a year earlier.

For youth aged 15 to 24, the average hourly wage rate was $22.57 in September, an increase of 3.4% ($0.75) from the hourly wage rate in September 2024. The average hourly wage rate for individuals aged 25 to 54 rose to $40.81 in September, up 2.3% ($0.93) from $39.88 a year earlier. The average hourly wage rate for those aged 55 and older increased by 4.0% ($1.53) to $39.64 in September from $38.11 a year earlier.

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

1. Business, building and other support services: +14.8% ($3.90) to $30.22
2. Financial, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing : +5.9% ($2.67) to $47.58
3. Professional, scientific and technical services: +3.8% ($1.95) to $53.73

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

1. Forestry, fishing, mining, quarrying, oil and gas: -12.0% (-$5.77) to $42.30
2. Other services (except public administration): -1.5% (-$0.47) to $30.91
3. Transportation and warehousing: -0.6% (-$0.21) to $33.64

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

September 2025 Labour Market Report:

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

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