More than 9,000 new jobs were created in the National Capital Region last month, boosting the total number of employed residents to its highest level since the pandemic began, Statistics Canada said Friday.
Ottawa-Gatineau’s unemployment rate fell more than half a percentage point to 8.6 per cent in September as the local economy gained 9,100 net additional jobs and the total labour force grew by nearly 5,000 people. Total employment last month rose to 730,200, its highest level since March, when COVID-19 was first detected in the capital.
The region’s largest employer helped lead the way in job creation last month, with the public administration sector gaining a net 2,400 positions. The hard-hit accommodations and food services industry continued to recover, adding a net of 1,600 jobs ​– a gain that is likely to be short-lived after the province announced it was reinstating a ban on indoor drinking and dining at bars and restaurants in Ottawa as of Saturday after a recent surge in COVID-19 infections.
(Sponsored)
The story behind Glenview Homes’ 2025 GOHBA award-winning Reveli floor plan
When Glenview Homes’ Design and Drafting Manager Eno Reveli sat down to design a new production floor plan, he wasn’t thinking about awards or show homes. He was thinking about
Iconic spaces, lasting impressions
The Canadian Museum of History and the Canadian War Museum offer more than beautiful spaces; they provide meaningful settings celebrating heritage, culture and design. An architectural landmark overlooking Parliament Hill
Meanwhile, the tech sector – another key economic driver and an industry that’s actually expanded during the pandemic – saw a slight dip of about 200 jobs in September, its second straight month of declines.
Nationally, Statistics Canada said Friday the country added 378,000 jobs in September, bringing overall employment to within 720,000 of pre-pandemic levels.
Overall, the unemployment rate fell to nine per cent, continuing its slide down from the record-high of 13.7 per cent recorded in May. Still, there were 1.8 million Canadians unemployed in September, with the vast majority, about 1.5 million, looking for work.
Statistics Canada says the unemployment rate would have been 11.9 per cent in September had it included in its calculation people who wanted a job, but didn’t look for work.
– With files from the Canadian Press
