Canada Loses 68,000 Jobs in September, Second Consecutive Decline

Canada shed 68,000 jobs in September, marking the second consecutive monthly contraction in the country's labour market, Radio-Canada reported.

The September figure extends a losing streak that began the previous month and ends a stretch of gains recorded earlier in 2025. Radio-Canada's headline summary did not publish sector, regional, or wage breakdowns, nor the size of the August decline that preceded it.

What does a second consecutive monthly loss mean for individual job seekers?

Two straight monthly contractions carry more weight than either drop on its own. A single weak print can reflect temporary factors — weather, strikes, statistical noise. Two in a row point to softening demand for labour and, in most historical episodes, precede a slower wage environment and longer job-search durations for candidates.

Where in the economy is the contraction concentrated?

Without the industry breakdown that normally accompanies a monthly Canadian jobs release, it is impossible to say from the available summary whether the loss is concentrated in goods-producing industries — manufacturing, construction, resources — or spread across services. That distinction matters: a goods-led pullback suggests cyclical exposure to interest rates and trade, while a services-led decline points more directly to softening domestic demand. The composition will also determine which occupations absorb the impact and which remain insulated.

How does this shift the Bank of Canada's calculus?

Two consecutive declines tilt the central bank's reaction function toward accommodation, though a single weak quarter rarely overrides inflation and GDP signals on its own. The most likely near-term outcome, if the trend extends into October, is a hold at the next rate decision. An actual cut typically requires either a sharper deterioration or a clear inflation-side justification that the September payroll print alone cannot provide.

What should candidates and employers monitor next?

The October release, scheduled for early November, will be the first data point to confirm whether September's contraction was a one-month anomaly or the start of a broader cooling. Until then, candidates should expect application volumes to stay elevated relative to the spring, while employers hiring in categories that have remained structurally tight — health care, skilled trades, technology — should not assume that headline-level weakness has reached their specific postings.

Radio-Canada did not indicate whether revisions to August's figures accompanied the September release, a detail that will shape how economists read the trend once the full dataset is published.