Canada's unemployment rate unexpectedly fell in March as companies added full-time jobs, according to official data released Thursday.
After four months of stagnation in the jobs market, employment increased by 82,000 in March, mostly in full-time work, Statistics Canada said.
The unemployment rate dropped to 7.2 percent from 7.4 percent. Economists expected only 10,000 new positions to be created, leaving the unemployment rate at 7.4 percent.
Compared with 12 months earlier, employment was up 1.1 percent or 197,000. Almost all of this growth was in full-time employment, the agency said.
For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com
June 12, 2026 17:14 ET Major central bank action was the focus this week in economic news. The European Central Bank became the first major central bank to move in response to the rising inflationary pressures in the backdrop of the conflict in the Middle East. In North America, the U.S. inflation and trade data as well as Canada’s central bank decision gained attention. The Chinese trade data was the main news in Asia.