Edmonton Economy · StatCan Labour Force Survey
Edmonton jobs & unemployment
Edmonton's unemployment rate is 7.1% as of May 2026 — Statistics Canada's three-month moving average for the Edmonton census metropolitan area. About 886,700 people are employed across the region, and 68.7% of working-age residents are in the labour force. That's above the national rate of 6.6%, with Alberta at 6.6%.
Unemployment rate
7.1%
May 2026 · −0.4 pts vs a year ago
Employed
886,700
+39,600 vs a year ago
Participation rate
68.7%
+1.0 pts vs a year ago
Employment rate
63.8%
share of working-age (15+) employed
vs Alberta
6.6%
Edmonton +0.5 pts
vs Canada
6.6%
Edmonton +0.5 pts
What these numbers mean
The unemployment rate is the share of the labour force — people either working or actively looking for work — who don't have a job. The participation rate is the share of working-age residents who are in the labour force at all, and the employment rate is the share who actually have a job. Read together they separate people who can't find work from those who aren't in the market.
Unemployment rate over time
Edmonton against Alberta and Canada across the labour-market cycle — one reading per year, with May 2026 as the latest. Watch the direction and the gaps between the lines as much as the level: a falling line means a tightening labour market, a rising line means slack is building.
Reading the chart: each point is that year's latest reading (May 2026 for 2026). The Edmonton line is built from Statistics Canada's three-month moving average — its only published seasonally-adjusted unemployment series for the Edmonton CMA — while Alberta and Canada are true monthly figures. Treat small Edmonton-vs-others gaps as approximate and read the line for direction.
The numbers behind the chart
Year-end unemployment rate (the latest reading in each year), Edmonton CMA against Alberta and Canada.
| Year | Edmonton | Alberta | Canada |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 8% | 7% | 5.6% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | 10.7% | 8.9% |
| 2021 | 6.6% | 6.9% | 5.9% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | 5.7% | 5% |
| 2023 | 6.8% | 6.5% | 5.8% |
| 2024 | 7.5% | 6.8% | 6.7% |
| 2025 | 7.5% | 6.7% | 6.8% |
| 2026 (May 2026) | 7.1% | 6.6% | 6.6% |
How Edmonton compares to other big cities
Unemployment rate across Canada's largest census metropolitan areas, May 2026, lowest first. Every city here is on the same three-month-average basis, so this is a like-for-like comparison.
Edmonton jobs & unemployment — FAQ
What is Edmonton's unemployment rate right now?
As of May 2026, the unemployment rate in the Edmonton census metropolitan area (CMA) was 7.1%, on Statistics Canada's seasonally-adjusted three-month moving average. About 886,700 people were employed and 68.7% of working-age residents were in the labour force.
Is Edmonton's unemployment rate higher than Alberta's or Canada's?
In May 2026, Edmonton's rate (7.1%) was higher than Alberta (6.6%) and higher than Canada (6.6%).
How does Edmonton compare with Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver?
On the same three-month-average basis in May 2026: Vancouver 6.7%, Calgary 7%, Edmonton 7.1%, Toronto 7.6%.
Has Edmonton's job market improved over the past year?
Compared with May 2025, Edmonton's unemployment rate fell 0.4 percentage points, and employment grew by about 39,600 (+4.7%).
Why is Edmonton's figure a three-month average, and how often is it updated?
Statistics Canada publishes Edmonton-CMA labour data only as a seasonally-adjusted three-month moving average — there is no true single-month series for the metro, so each reading blends the latest three months. The Labour Force Survey is released monthly, usually the first Friday; the figures here are for May 2026, released June 5, 2026.
About this data
These figures come from Statistics Canada's Labour Force Survey, the monthly household survey behind Canada's official jobs numbers. They're seasonally adjusted, so predictable seasonal swings — students leaving for summer, holiday hiring — don't distort the trend. For the Edmonton CMA, Statistics Canada publishes only a three-month moving average: each month blends the latest three to keep the smaller-sample metro numbers stable, which is why Edmonton is shown on that basis while Alberta and Canada are true single-month figures. New data lands monthly, usually the first Friday; the latest here is May 2026, released June 5, 2026.
Sources & licence
- Adapted from Statistics Canada, Tables 14-10-0459-01 and 14-10-0287-01, May 2026. This does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada of this product.
- Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Edmonton CMA and peer cities (Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver) are Statistics Canada's three-month moving average, seasonally adjusted (table 14-10-0459-01) — the only published seasonally-adjusted unemployment series for these metros. Alberta and Canada are true monthly, seasonally adjusted (table 14-10-0287-01). Latest reference month: May 2026, released June 5, 2026. The Labour Force Survey is published monthly, usually the first Friday.
Content on this site does not constitute financial or investment advice. Trevor Tardif is a licensed REALTOR® with REAL Broker AB Ltd, Edmonton, Alberta.
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