Alberta’s unemployment rate jumped drastically last month. Statistics Canada released its October 2026 Labour Force Survey on Friday, which showed Alberta’s jobless rate up 0.9 percentage points from the month earlier, sitting at 7.3 per cent compared to the 6.4 seen in September. Employment in Alberta fell by 24,000 jobs in October, down 0.9 per cent and offsetting a similar-sized increase the month prior. Looking at the province’s four largest cities, Edmonton had the highest unemployment rate, sitting at 7.1 per cent, up slightly from 6.9 per cent in September. Calgary’s jobless rate sat at 6.6 per cent in October, up from 6.3 per cent the month before. “Calgary continues to show relative strength in a softer national labour market, while October’s results point to some near-term weakening in hiring,” said Busuyi Okeowo, interim director of insights and innovation at Calgary Economic Development. “Trade uncertainty and rising input costs are adding pressures for businesses, and while many have absorbed these increases so far, sustained higher costs could affect investment and hiring decisions.” Red Deer was at 5.3 per cent, a significant drop from 6.3 per cent in September. In Lethbridge, the unemployment rate was little changed, dipping to 5.2 per cent from 5.5 per cent. The national unemployment rate was 6.7 per cent in October, up from 6.5 per cent in September.
