One in four unemployed Canadians has been looking for work for at least six months. That’s not a pandemic stat. It’s happening right now.
Long-term unemployment in Canada hit 25.4% in January 2026, meaning more than a quarter of all unemployed individuals spent 27 weeks or more searching for a job. That’s the highest rate outside of pandemic years since May 1997. The average duration of unemployment climbed to 22.7 weeks, a level not seen since late 1999.
The numbers behind the slowdown
Canada’s overall unemployment rate rose to 6.9% in April 2026, up from 6.7% in March. The country lost roughly 18,000 jobs in April alone. Over the first four months of 2026, the total damage comes to approximately 112,000 jobs lost.
The Bank of Canada’s April 2026 Monetary Policy Report flagged significant labor market slack, noting that unemployment has hovered in the 6.5% to 7% range for about 12 months straight.
