Unemployment rate fell to 6.5% in June with 18K new jobs, says StatCan

Statistics Canada says the economy continued to add jobs in June with a gain of 18,000 positions.

That was enough to push the unemployment rate down a tenth of a point to 6.5 per cent.

The agency says youth saw a better start to the summer job market this year compared with 2025 amid a gain of 33,000 positions for workers aged 15 to 24.

Job growth was primarily in part-time work last month and led by the wholesale and retail trade industry and the food and accommodation sector.

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Manufacturing, meanwhile, led losses and is down some 61,000 jobs since a recent peak in January 2025 as U.S. tariffs continue to weigh on the industry.

The June jobs report will be the Bank of Canada’s last major look at the state of the economy before making its next interest rate decision on Wednesday.