Unemployment in Alberta held steady at seven per cent last month, unchanged from June and down 0.9 percentage points from July 2025. Statistics Canada released its July 2026 Labour Force Survey on Friday, which showed the national unemployment rate sitting at 6.4 per cent, its lowest level in two years. The agency said Canada added 75,000 jobs in July. Those jobs were split between full- and part-time work. Most of July’s job gains were in the wholesale and retail trade sectors, which added 21,000 positions – though the sector is still down 50,000 jobs from a year ago. In Alberta, employment was little changed in July but was up by 91,000 (3.5 per cent) on a year-over-year basis, the largest proportional increase among the provinces. Unemployment by city Looking at unemployment in Alberta’s four largest cities, Calgary’s jobless rate dropped slightly in July, sitting at 6.8 per cent compared to 7.1 per cent in June. “Calgary’s labour market showed encouraging signs in July, with unemployment easing and full-time employment strengthening,” said Brad Parry, president and CEO of Calgary Economic Development. “We’re also seeing strong year-over-year gains in sectors like health care, construction and energy, while Calgary continues to lead Canada’s major cities in job growth.” Edmonton saw a drop in unemployment, dipping to 6.9 per cent in July from 7.2 per cent in June. In Red Deer, unemployment was largely unchanged, climbing to 7.6 per cent from 7.4 per cent the month prior. Lethbridge’s jobless rate was also steady, sitting at 5.6 per cent in July from 5.5 per cent the month before. The July Labour Force Survey looked at market conditions during July 12 to 18. With files from The Canadian Press
